Credibility doesn't imply objective truth. Ford's testimony, whether or not objectively true, is true to her. Thus she comes across as credible.
Did anyone notice that during her testimony, Ford couldn't remember things that happened only months ago?
Ford strikes me as a fragile, confused, troubled person.
Ford, who marinated for decades in the Kafkaesque world of psychotherapy where dreams are reality & reality is mutable & subjective, reached her alleged epiphany during her own psychotherapy sessions 3 decades post-alleged-trauma.
Ford's therapist notes did not name Kavanaugh. The other person placed in the room by Ford denied the event. Three other people Ford claimed were at the gathering either could not corroborate or denied being there.
As to the repression of early memories of sexual abuse, the American Psychological Association reports: "There is ‘little or no empirical support’ for the concept of repressed or dissociated memories of sexual abuse. However, false memories are well-documented in legal history. We are vulnerable to what psychologists call ‘suggestion’ and can innocently construct false or ‘pseudomemories’ of events that never occurred, if they are encouraged by someone we trust.
NOTE: *One disturbing 2007 study found that when people recalled early sexual abuse during therapy their account was less likely to be corroborated by other evidence than when the memories came without help.* Sadly, well-meaning therapists have done their patients harm”
5
No conclusion of the FBI will erase Blasey's effect on women who are ready to stand up against the Male Kingdom.
105
I watched the entire hearing. Ford was a understandably emotional at times, but conducted herself in a mature and forthright way. Kavanaugh, on the other hand did not at any time display the maturity and wisdom and decorum that one should expect from a Supreme Court justice. He presented himself like a boy who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Like a boy who has never had to answer for himself and now has to face the scrutiny of having committed a heinous act. He got promoted to the Big Leagues and showed he is not capable of operating in that arena. His dissembling answers, interrupting the questioning, throwing out questions of his own, are not what we would expect to see from a potential SC justice.
I have had deeply traumatic experiences in my own life. I KNOW you remember what happened and where it happened, and who did it. For the Republicans to a man to say they have no doubt that "something happened" to Ford in order to avoid saying she was sexually assaulted, is shameful. Because if they say that, their dodge has to be to say this whole thing was a case of mistaken identity, as if a girl could have been sexually assaulted and be confused about who did it. Ford WAS sexually assaulted and she KNOWS who did it.
I could go on.
The Republicans want to lock in a conservative majority on the Court. I understand that. But not this guy. Put up a mature judge whose life's record and public demeanor command respect. Brett Kavanaugh's does not.
288
If there is a Congresswoman who would like to beat a male colleague senseless with a cane, I would be happy to supply the cane.
129
Just when you think the country will believe what it sees and hears for itself, the opposite is proven, by belief in privileged white men - I.e.; Congress - who are offended when it is found that their uninvited trips to the cookie jar aren't welcome.
We are doomed.
58
This is insane.
We in America have already decided that just A VICTIM'S statement alone is enough to put a man in jail for life, let alone deny him a job.
I never hear and GOPer say it was an 'injustice' when a young man is sentenced by judges like Kavanaugh TO PRISON on the basis of the testimony of a victim, only.
"I know who robbed me at gunpoint - it was HIM' - and 'boom', that person goes to jail and we ALL say it was a fair judgement.
But with Kavanaugh, for some reason, a victim's own direct identification of her attacker is considered something that needs a *bit* more 'corroboration'??
An assault occurred. The victim has identified the attacker. In the United States that is enough to send a poor, white or black kid to jail for Life, in any and every state in our Union .. certainly it is enough to stop this prep school liar ('boofed is farting ...'; 'I never drank to blackout ...'; 'Alumni club means I liked her ...') from holding the highest seat in the nation.
The GOP is rotten, to the core.
174
I may be one of the few people who think this was a good moment for our Republic, as ugly as it was. It was like watching an Edward Albee play, watching the characters let their inner beasts out. These men and women finally showed themselves, in the raw, to the American people. How can that not be a good thing for our democracy to truly see the people who govern us?
108
k of the day was a tie between kavanaugh and graham. Both are pitiful.
61
There is s meme going’s around on the vestiges of what is Facebook, but it’s an overlooked and important message. It goes something like this:
If powerful men are being falsely accused of sexual assault for partisan reasons, why has President Obama never been accused?”
92
Somebody coached djt on a new word this week: "compelling" .. its a good one from the pr hacks/hypnotists/whoever can get him to talk in the least bit human - kinda all purpose...
I think the UN general assembly types are onto something with the unrestrained spontaneous laughter - this usually works pretty well on up-to-semi-drunk aggressive men, just laugh at them. It does backfire however in frightening ways.
Gail Collins my request for comment/column in the future from you is about those repub stepford wives. They strike me as a strange type of sick. I both fear for wife and interior sheetrock walls of BK if he is not nominated when- not if -he gets sloshed and feel a horrible sort of disgust for her forced blindness.
37
Brett Kavanaugh's angry evasive & belligerent behavior under oath is enough to discredit him, his nomination should be withdrawn. His demeanor was in sharp contrast to Dr. Ford's and a careful examination, by the FBI, of his words, again, UNDER OATH will disclose his lies.
139
Bret Kavanaugh, poster boy for all the corruption embodied in the Republican Party. Know it or not, Kavanaugh just disqualified himself. That the press is equivocating as usual is no surprise, would not want to push Republicans buttons too hard or often.
Frankly our print press makes me sick. Why is it tiptoeing around what we all saw on nationally broadcast TV? Bret Kavanaugh is no more qualifies to sit on the supreme court than Farfel the puppet dog. The man lies like he is both pathological and stupid though he apparently understands that the average IQ of both the press and the voters is double digit at best. Or maybe it is the reporters editors long famed for taking the truth out of reporters hard work.
e·quiv·o·ca·tion
iˌkwivəˈkāSH(ə)n/Submit
noun
the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication.
81
Kavanaugh admitted that he drank heavily when he was underage.
I wonder where his wonderful parents were when he came home inebriated. Did they think this was normal for a 17 year high school student or did they just not give a damn?
Is this what his calendar showed him being grounded for or was he doing something even worse?
89
Dear Ms Collins,
I've been watching TV non stop since Thursday morning at 10 am. (Unfortunately, turns out this is the week I had planned a few days off from work) Feeling nauseously bleary eyed this morning, I grabbed the newspaper thinking, (God knows why) this is a better way to start my day. Youza. I read Bret Stephens column - UGH. Now I have to question whether my belief that a Supreme Court nominee that, who by all measures quite possibly sexually assaulted a young woman, doesn't belong on the court. Judging him on anything beyond his judicial philosophy will grow --- something in the Senate I guess, although I'm not sure what. (an honest discussion about the character of the person we are elevating to the highest court in our land? But never mind, die on that hill if you must Dems, I guess) So yeah, my morning didn't start much better with the paper. But then, my eye ball perked up when I read "The Sunny Side of the Senate" headline. A laugh. Yes. That's exactly what I need. I had forgotten about those. I did laugh. Pretty hard actually when I read your line that by the end of the week many of the senators had actually even frightened themselves. Even they were bug-eyed. I'm not sure why but the idea of the old jerks scaring themselves is awfully funny. Then I got to your last line and I fell apart. To hell with all of them. Every last single one of them. Because - "...her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone." Laughed and cried. Thanks Gail
71
Poor poor Brett. He had an impossible task. He had to live up to the fiction he had created of a model citizen who, even as a teen, drank beer but only in moderation without exception, worked hard in school and would have gotten into Yale even he had been raised hungry in a slum, who respected women so much that his yearbook entry of "Renate Alumnius" accorded admiration from him & his buddies for a particular young woman, who went to church with the regularity of brushing his teeth, and who was entitled to a seat on the Supreme Court for living such an exemplary life (notwithstanding the false accusations of a confused sexual assault survivor who was being manipulated by forces of evil who wanted "revenge for the Clintons").
On the other hand, all Christine Blasey Ford had to do was tell the truth, punctuated with the occasional apology for things she wished she could recall, and explain to various Senators (or to prosecutor Rachel Mitchell) what she knew, including how the brain functions during episodes of great trauma. She did not have the burden of constructing a character devoid of any human frailty or failings. Instead, her honesty about being a real person, including when she was a teen, was perhaps her most compelling attribute. How easy!
Boy, men sure have things rough in this society.
159
Then way the Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee treated Dr. Blasey Ford was tantamount to patting her on the head and saying "There, there, you sweet little thing". From having a woman question her (thereby keeping their old, wrinkled, sneering faces off the television screens) to their patronizing comments during and afterwards, they made their disdain for her experience, and their willingness to dismiss it out of hand, palpable.
107
Welcome to America's gender apartheid war.
Color me a white professional woman who is the same age and flew in the same "social circles" as Brett Kavanaugh's in wealthy Chicago suburbia.
Here's what I know: Women are tired of letting white privileged men boss us around, plain and simple. Which gender wages war? Who comprise almost the entirety of domestic abusers? Sexual assaulters? Predominantly and nearly entirely men. Deciders of women's rights over their own bodies? Men. The ones who fill the boardrooms of corporate America? Men. The ones who help others just like them succeed over those of other genders? Men. It's an undeniable and centuries' old truth in the United States.
Women aren't seeing the Kavanaugh proceedings as a political "scam" or Dem vs. GOP issue. We're seeing men who would rather protect each other and control positions of power than stand up for the women of our nation.
189
In my humble opinion, during the Thursday hearing Kavanaugh disqualified himself to be a justice on the highest court in the land.
What do I base this on?
1. His strange interpretations of Yearbook phrases. (Untruthful)
2. His misrepresentation of witness statements. (Inability to parse statements)
3. His blaming all of this on a political conspiracy. (Overt political bias).
He was put under real pressure and the real Brett Kavanaugh came out.
300
Word of the week:
Belligerent
Exactly! When credibly accused of misconduct, get belligerent
Kavanaugh lies a lot, and many of his lies can be proven. Why wouldn't he lie about this?
And even if he didn't, why it is OK to have this far right partisan who lies a lot on important issues - voting rights, executive power, power to the wealthy and powerful, stealing confidential information to win elections, torture, and the importance of fetuses without mothers and families, for starters - on the Supreme Court.
Oh, I get it. Because the minority wants to stay in power forever, and this guy on the supreme court will hurt "those people" and keep the corrupt in power.
Shameless!
PS. I came across this flowchart for reporting rape "correctly". Women beware! https://medium.com/the-nib/did-you-report-your-rape-correctly-c07677306742
75
However temporary, we saw leadership yesterday in the US Senate building on the parts of Ana Maria Archila, Jeff Flake, Maria Gallagher and Chris Coons.
It was free of bluster, bullying and gratuitous vitriol. Nobody screamed, blamed or pointed fingers. Something actually got done.
It was exhibited by citizens and legislators alike. For the moment at least, the legislators achieved the spinal stiffness of their constituents.
In our time, this is so rare as to be nearly unrecognizable. Yet, we saw it play out before an exhausted nation's eyes.
May it continue. Hey, a dude can hope for a day, can't he?
62
@John lebaron, I approve of the reaction of the women in the elevator, and what you wrote in general. However, what you wrote about "nobody screamed", doesn't seem factual if you watch the elevator scene.
7
@Giovanni Ciriani, And that is how a victim of sexual assault should sound like when they're not faking it; not like Dr. Ford's testimony as if she just woke up and calling in sick because she couldn't reschedule a nail appointment...
1
I watched the complete Judiciary hearing on Thursday. My dismay increased as both the Democrat and Republican senators postured before the camaras. After Judge Kavanaugh permanently degraded himself in a shocking display of juvenile behavior, and the Republican senators had their say, this quote kept running through my mind:
"It's good to see the snakes revealing themselves. They weren't actually hidden at all. People hide behind the masks, but eventually you see them for who they truly are." Amaka Imani Nkosazana
40
No matter what Jeff Flake is a coward and without guts or nerves. He has always voted pro Trump. He is a true hypocrit. Jeff, listen .... had you stayed pro Trump openly like you really are, you would have made lots of money. Don’t worry about American democracy. It’s already in the gutter.
17
“You should be proud of your mom,” Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal said to Blasey’s sons. “She is a profile in courage and her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone.”
Dr. Blasey Ford's name will be in the chapter titled "Profiles in Courage." Every single Republican politician serving during this administration will be in the chapter titled "The Fall and Disunion of the former United States."
52
Watching eleven dyspeptic old white men, some of the Republican's best and brightest, trying to act senatorial or even coherent was dismaying and depressing. Who elects these people ?( Note to Lindsey Graham: among jerks you are an outstanding one.)
With Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice Fox News and people like Steve Bannon and Alex Jones will finally have a voice on the Supreme Court.
141
The child-like unhinged rant issued by Lindsey Graham should make him the new face of the Republican party. They deserve as much.
116
@Alan R Brock
I nominate Lindsey Graham to head up the Senate Judiciary’s new amateur theatricals committee. He was doing his star turn, acting as if he were in Act III and the bombshell soliloquy.
32
@Alan R Brock
That is his most ardent desire.
8
He likes beer...alot. He could lobby for Budweiser. Dilly, dilly.
32
“You should be proud of your mom,” Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal said to Blasey’s sons. “She is a profile in courage and her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone.”
I propose a new Mt. Rushmore, perhaps named Mt. Gail Collins, with Christine Blasey Ford's visage beside other great and notable women... it's long overdue.
57
watching kavanaugh testify, i couldn't help remembering this shakespearean moment..." ... a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." would that it could be true.
82
For republicans, when all else fails, blame Hillary.
112
My question is, what do the Russians have on Lindsay Graham??
68
Anything that slows the Republicans' boofing of America and gets Americans thinking again for a little while is a pretty good thing for these interesting times.
69
Dr. Ford was incredibly credible and Brett Kavanaugh was credibly incredible. Sexual assaults aside, his tirade, coupled with the fact that he denied listening to Dr. Ford's testimony at all, proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he is not qualified even to be a traffic court judge. In the most significant testimony he may hear in his life, he refused to listen before making up his mind that "the Clintons" were behind it all. That is not a "judicial temperament". That is severe paranoia. Based upon his bizarre grimacing, tongue-thrusting and thirst when stressed, I would advise him to see a neurologist. He is not a healthy person.
202
Dr. Ford was frank and credible. She answered the questions she was asked.
Judge Kavanaugh was evasive. He wouldn't answer questions put to him that called for a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
If I were to appear before Judge Kavanaugh in oral argument in a D.C. Circuit case, and if I answered his questions from the bench with the same evasiveness he showed in giving his testimony to the Judiciary Committee, he would be furious -- and rightfully so.
So ...... we've seen all we need to see. Irrespective of who did what to whom, this man can't be trusted and has no business on any court in the land, let alone the U.S. Supreme Court. It's bad enough that he sits on a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Everyone who watched the hearings on Thursday knows this is true. When the vote finally comes, we'll see whether the fix was in from the beginning or whether these hearings have any real purpose, that is, whether the Senate really does "advise and consent" or whether judicial appointment hearings are nothing more than a sham. If the latter, there's a swamp that really does need to be drained.
120
Kavanaugh was copying the guilty rapist character Lous Roulet in „The Lincoln Lawyer“. Exactly acted his put-on outrage, wimpering, blame and slime.
25
Kavanaugh must be protected so that he can protect Trump. Trump must be protected so that Republicans who have supported him do not go down with him. It's a chain for the GOP, and Kavanaugh cannot be the weak link. Republicans will ignore the FBI findings in a week and vote Kavanaugh in. They've been bought off already as puppets for their wealthy donors. Trump and his GOP are so filthy at this point that they could care less about appearances. And they have to fill this Supreme Court seat prior to the midterms on the off chance that Democrats manage to flip the Senate.
Democrats lost the Gorsuch and Kavanaugh seats when they lost in 2016 and when they lost Congress and state legislatures well before that.
If you don't win elections, you cannot enact your agenda.
Democrats have lost the Supreme Court. When they flip the House but not the Senate, pretty much all they will be able to do is obstruct. They could get Trump's tax returns, and we'll then see where that leads. I'm not holding my breath.
Democrats will regain power when things sufficiently fall apart. Will that be before 2020 when, say, Trump is ousted, or after when our superheated economy falls apart? Who knows?
Republicans want to waste a week of Democrats' time and make them look like idiots before the midterms. Will they succeed? I'm hoping for the best for Democrats and our country, but I'm readying myself for the worst.
And I'm working to help Democrats win in November, with every fiber of my being.
120
Thanks Gail for once again, during these trying times, bringing a smile to my face. Anything to get Kavanaugh's 50 minute rant and Graham's spittle speech out of my hippocampus.
75
Thank you for your usual comic relief to the madness that is this WH administration and Washington, D.C.
I think they are all drinking the Kool-Aid as the expression goes.
19
Gail, your prejudgment, condescension, snide commentary and complete disregard for facts typifies the type of reporting and writing that we have seen from The Times over the past week. It is you and the Times who do not understand the gravity of sexual assault. If you did understand, then maybe you would understand why Judge Kavanaugh was absolutely furious. Please spare me the incoherent rants about "attacking the accuser", white male privilege and "bro" culture. Let's focus instead on being a society that seeks truth and justice for all (everyone, not just those in the few selected classes that are key to left wing power).
7
It's not reporting it's commentary. As for ignoring facts, truth and reality, that is the reason the Republican party exists at all.
58
@Charlie If YOU understood sexual assault you would know that the victim does not forget the act, and does not forget who the perpetrator was.
47
A comment on another article in today's NYT:
Linda
Oklahoma11h ago
Kavanaugh mentioned beer 33 times during yesterday's hearing. Have you ever mentioned beer 33 times during an interview?
86
Gail, can you comment on the two columns your colleague, Bret Stephens, has written since your joint column? It’s like he did the same kind of 180 as Kavanaugh; restrained to hysterical. He refuses to engage with any of the facts that contradict his assertions and doesn’t even acknowledge the additional arguments against Kavanaugh. He is somehow now firmly on the side of Republicans like Graham and sounds almost as spiteful. If you agree but can’t come out and say so because it would make things super awkward at the office, put “tomato” in your next column.
51
I sense some Henny Youngman in the title: “Take away Bret Kavanaugh...please!”
26
I saw on TV how ecstatic the dems were when Flake made his announcement. They acted as if Flake died and was reincarnated as Ted Kennedy. How low they’ve set the bar.
9
With Republicans involved the bar can never be set low enough. Trump will still crawl under it.
48
Who's Richard Blumenthal?
3
@James Griffin Senator from CN I believe.
7
So disappointed in Lindsey Graham. Judge Kavanaugh can never be an impartial justice and he has proved himself a liar most convincingly about his yearbook entry at least. He should step down.
93
"Trapped in a Small Room by Women Who Held The Door And Yelled At Him, Respected Senator is Forced to Give Up His Values."
20
More like Conservative Hack is Forced to Face Reality.
33
I am still sick to my stomach. Thank goodness there will be no spawn of Lindsey Graham foisted on the next generation.
94
Kavanaugh's presentation was pitiful, laced with his tales of athletic participation, junk from his old calenders and self-pity. If it turns out that he lied about anything, he should withdraw or be rejected by the Senate. The suspicion grows by the moment that his buddy Judge was with him when Dr. Ford was assaulted and Mr. Judge indeed was the fellow spotted by the victim two week's later at a supermarket.
Lindsay Graham should start working on a sequal to his hissy fit last Thursday. Is this gentleman from South Carolina's Low Country aware that former Nazis discovered 70 years after WW II have been arrested, indicted and deported to face jail in Germany?
54
Graham never ceases to turn my stomach. He wouldn't stand up for McCain, he wouldn't stand up to Sessions, and he can't get to Trump's golf course fast enough. But he will stand up for a guy who absolutely misrepresented himself in front of the committee. The only thing Kavanaugh has going for him is the concept that what happens in the ________(fill in the blank) stays in the _______. Kind of like the Senate, right Lindsey? Chuckle, Chuckle. So we can't be bothered with trying to change locker room behavior. We can't be burdened with trying to create a more respectful and equitable society. No matter how people behave, we cannot stand in their path forward. What Lindsey was saying, in essence, is there aren't any people out there who don't have episodes of behavior like heavy drinking throughout high school and college (I don't care what he said----Kavanaugh was like his friends), or men who grab women's _______, forcefully kiss women against their will, or enter changing rooms at beauty pageants where young women are undressing. No, good man are so few and far between that we have to be willing to accept the flawed. For Graham, is there a line in the sand? I wonder what Senator Graham has to hide in his past? Because, after all, good men all have a past.
46
I only wish Blasey had had the chance to directly tell a Republican (and the personality) something to the effect of:
"How dare you suggest I'm mistaken. When a man you know is on top of you, with his face maybe 3 inches from your face, trying to forcibly have sex with you, you remember it clearly."
66
After watching the performance of this scion of wealth & privilege descend into a grievance wracked bully I now know for sure that this miserable wretch should not wear a black robe at any level. Vote no on Kavanaugh. Resist.
96
"I knew Kavanaugh before he was a virgin"
47
The Times never publishes my comments, which are civil BUT conservative. In the comments I see people mocking Kavanaugh and Graham for drinking, and even Senator Hatch for NOT drinking. Don't like Brett? I have a female pick for you, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Just to help you all crib a bit (if you ever see this) you can start attacking her because, according to your WAPO friends, she's a member of "People of Praise" which the paper cautions against. "Some see People of Praise — which calls for members to seek guidance in many aspects of their lives from a personal spiritual guide — as a potentially inappropriate sway over a judge’s decision-making." Remember this was DIFI's first blunder, as she openly mocked Barrett and Catholics. "“When you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that’s of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for years in this country." DIFI scolded the Judge. Many Republicans are decent people, steeped in the Judeo-Christian ethic the NYT and its readers are out to destroy. I trust in the Lord to ensure that we will never reap the whirlwind.
1
@Bill Thomas - it is possible to have more than one nominee who is unfit for the office. Kavanaugh clearly should have been vetted better, and Barrett is too doctrinaire. And really, what about the fact that 6 of the 9 justices (should Kavanaugh be confirmed) are Catholics. How is that a good idea? Why aren't Protestants up in arms about their lack of representation? How about a good Unitarian, Congregationalist, or Methodist?
Here's a surprise: many liberals are totally decent people, steeped in the Judeo-Christian ethic. The difference is that they walk the walk, wanting to help everyone live decently, not just the top 1%.
10
@Bill Thomas
Well, Mr. Bill Thomas, I read your final sentence. And I think to myself, "There's a REASON this guy's comments do not appear in The New York Times."
Civil? Yes. Your comment was politely worded. No screaming. Or angry obscenities. Or. vituperation.
But your sentiments? Intemperate! VERY intemperate.
To begin with--
--I am an evangelical Christian. "Trust in the Lord"? Check. "Steeped in the Judeo-Christian ethic"? Okay--check. But--as a NYT reader--
--"longing to destroy the Judeo-Christian ethic"?
Are you kidding me, Mr. Thomas? Seriously?
I think, sir, our views of government--
--are at odds with each other.
Paul (in "Romans") gives a brief rundown of what the government should do.
It should check wrongdoing.
It should encourage right-doing.
"If thou dost good, thou wilt have praise of the same," the Apostle says. Speaking of some magistrate--
--who was probably NOT a Christian.
I desire to see the U.S. government do the same.
Enforce the law. Uphold the right. Be impartial. Fair. Just. Even--as the occasion warrants-- merciful. Compassionate. Maybe sometimes--even HELPFUL.
I am disturbed, Mr. Thomas--
--by Christians that seek (one way or another) to IMPOSE their faith--
--by laws, legislation, or what not--
--on people who are not Christians.
And that's a lot of non-Christians.
If this is wrong or unbiblical--
--then I'm sorry.
But I don't think it is.
No, sir, I don't.
Not at all.
43
The Lord is not our shepherd, the Constitution is. That's where conservative intolerance falls apart.
22
"....given the way the whole thing devolved into a wildly partisan yelling match."
A lot like this article actually.
2
On the plus side, Kavanaugh’s performance was hardly the worst thing America’s ever seen in the legislative process. There was the time a congressmen beat a senator to a bloody pulp with his cane. That was, however, in 1856.
Pure gold!
14
First of all, thanks for the laugh Gail Collins. After witnessing this hearing, it was certainly needed.
However I tend to be of the opinion that it was a good week precisely because of Brett Kavanaugh -- because at least now there's not doubt about the vile machinations of this overwhelmingly male Republican Senate which thinks way too much of themselves, and the power they wield to destroy anything, or anyone who gets in their way.
This debacle also showed us who the real winner, and who the real loser is.
But if this whining, tearful spectacle of a man is still somehow elected to the Supreme Court bench, the real loser will ultimately be all of us.
24
Agreed. Except I tend to doubt that Richard Blumenthal's name will be in any history books to begin with.
Let me propose a Gail Collins-style pop quiz. The Republicans are a) sore winners who can’t accept their 2016 victory, b) unable to get through a day without referencing Hillary Clinton, c) terrified of the man they elected. Wait, how about all three?
44
Among the many outrageous moments during Kavanaugh's nervous breakdown masquerading as testimony, his nasty, sneering response to Senator Klobuchar stood out for me. She is a soft-spoken, articulate and non grand-standing (I'm looking at you, Cory Booker) interviewer, who actually shared her own father's struggle with alcoholism to help cushion her direct question to Kavanaugh.
He threw the question back in her face, a rude and to my knowledge unprecedented response at a judicial hearing.
The profoundly sad expression on Kavanaugh's wife's face also struck me. She probably has witnessed this erratic behavior many times, especially when her husband has had a few of his beloved beers.
51
@TM Wife of BK has confused the word spouse with the idea of martyr. She is a sad case and a fool and self destructive. Psychiatrists and womens shelters see alot of people in her mental state. I hope the daughters get out and have protection, I bet anything they are very aware of who their father is. Kids have eyes and brains.
14
Dear Gail Collins, you owe me one keyboard and a premium glass of Zinfandel. I just snorted a sip of it on my keyboard and had to shut it down as a precautionary measure. I have two other non-working ones..
When we have to depend one retiring Senator to be forced to see common sense we have reached the nadir of the usefulness of the legislative branch of our government, something has to change.
The best I can say of the Senators, in fact the entire legislative branch of Government is "the dog test." that if they have dogs as pets or companions do these dogs like them. If they are dog approved, it is the only humanizing aspect of their lives. If they don't have dogs or only cat people ( I apologize in advance, they should be disqualified.)
Grassley, Hatch, and Graham most likely do not have dogs. They would have absconded by now.
We also need some superannuating clause in membership in Congress. If you reach age 65 ( I would prefer one/maybe two term, but then I am hardcore,) you are retired. And by the way, when we mean retired, no lobbying either. if you do we can send you into the pokey.
14
Kavanuagh's prior lies to this and other Senate committees, the torture papers he won't let us see, his unexplained gambling and "baseball ticket" debts and how they were paid off, topped by his ultra-partisan rant in the sexual assault hearing should combine to make his nomination dead in the water. Of course, since all Republicans lie and they hold the cards, their boy with be our problem on the high court. Love your attempt at humor, Gail, but with Trump and his cowering minions in charge it will always be too soon. Once Trump packs the court it will be too late. I see a bloody insurrection on the horizon. You can't continue to oppress the majority by telling them that their vote didn't count and their opinion doesn't matter.
41
Dr. Ford will always have my admiration for her bravery and courage. Her testimony was calm, measured and honest:if she did not remember or did not know something, she said so. She did not embellish her statements and showed great emotional reserve. As to Judge Kavanaugh: his lies about small things (sexual slang definitions, legal drinking ages, etc) make me doubt his whole testimony, and his teary, angry opening tirade was quite frightening-it made me think that he would be quite a nasty drunk. In short his testimony was hysterical, enraged and unworthy of trust: exactly the way women have been characterized by misogynists for too many years to count: oh the irony!
33
Mr Kavanaugh:
Do the right thing and WITHDRAW.
28
There were three great performances during Thursday's Judicial Committee hearing.
Dr. Blasey set a high bar with her account of being assaulted by two young men. If hers was an act, Meryl Streep should sit up and take notice, not to mention lessons. This was, hands down, Oscar quality, except for the fact that it wasn't an act.
The good judge's soliloquy was Shakespeare-ian. But this wasn't the Old Vic. Or the Globe. While Kavanaugh's scenery chewing was Tony quality, it was a bit heavy on the anguish and thus garners, at best, a Razzie.
And then there was Lindsey Graham. Histrionics all around, anyone? Hysterical. Not once, not twice, but thrice. Yes, hysteria! From the Latin and even further back, the Greek, where it described "suffering in the uterus." I didn't know Lindsey had it in him.
39
I have followed closely the "Kavanaugh Affair". Although never a 'victim' of an 'assault' (I'm 88),
I was literally brought to tears on several occasions, watching this real TV Drama. I have great praise especially for Dr. Ford and also especially for Senator Flake. Worthy of note (in my book), I think someone should donate a spade to Lindsey Graham, that he may begin to 'dig' the grave to bury the active title he now carries - "Senator".
23
Maybe Bart O'Kavanaugh can retire from Judging and become a Country star singing about beer and his pickup truck and poorly written Appellate briefs.
17
To prostitute the United States Supreme like this a disgrace that will take generations to dissipate.
All of this began with McConnell's flouting the Constitution in order to steal a seat on the Court. An act that he is extremely proud of.
And now the GOP would have it that a man alleged to have committed an attempted rape by a perfectly credible witness should be placed on the Supreme Court. A man who emulates his mentor , Trump , by weeping , sniveling , and acting like an enraged bull by the accusations against him. Furthermore he displayed a naked hatred of the Democratic Party which he claims drummed this witness up and ruined his and his family's lives by what he says are false allegations
As a witness, the good judge rambled . was totally unresponsive to any questions that were relevant to this inquiry. He is lying now and he lied before this Judiciary Committee a dozen years ago when it took 3 entire years for him to be confirmed to the circuit.
Much of his life seems to revolve around alcohol . Like most people who drink to excess , he lives in a world of denial. Can you imagine the volatile temper he displayed yesterday enhanced by alcohol ?
Is this the best they can do ? A nominee accused of a violent sex crime. A man with an out of control temper. A man who has displayed a feral hatred of one of our two major political parties , women , and working folk. A man with an alcohol problem.
A Supreme Court Justice ? A man not qualified to sit as a local JP.
38
In case it escaped anyone else's notice, Senator Lindsey O. Graham had his own elevator moment Wednesday.
When confronted by a woman who said she had been sexually abused, he brushed past her saying: "I'm so sorry. Go tell the cops".
The man is all heart.
42
Gail Collins, you are a great writer.
17
The president should pull out Kavanaugh (before completion of the act) and nominate Rod Rosenstein.
Brett Kavanaugh's greatest regret is that he was not named "Rod".
8
@Bruce Michel Wow some great jokes are born of this anguish - good one Bruce Michel!!
4
We must still be very concerned about the Flake call for an FBI investigation, because:
In "How the FBI Will Investigate the Kavanaugh Accusations,"
the Times reporters cite federal prosecutors that
". . . because it is not a criminal investigation, F.B.I. agents will be unable to obtain subpoenas ordering witnesses to testify before a grand jury to hand over documents. Witnesses and others can refuse to cooperate . . ."
The accusations being investigated involve kidnapping and attempted rape.
If those are not crimes, what are they?
The Senate Judiciary Committee MUST NOT BE DENIED the power to subpoena witnesses.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
22
Lindsey Graham, who is as attracted to a hot mic or television camera as a hog to a wallow, said this morning that his job was to "represent the people of South Carolina."
I am a born and bred South Carolinian---68 years. Lindsey Graham doesn't represent me. Indeed, no man who can name the flavor of Donald Trump's shoe polish will ever represent me.
The only spine Lindsey ever had was on loan to him from John McCain. Now that Senator McCain is gone, Lindsey will have to ask his local laundry to put extra starch in his shirts so that he can walk upright.
148
@Rusty Inman
Just in case someone missed this …..
"Indeed, no man who can name the flavor of Donald Trump's shoe polish will ever represent me."
36
Gail,
We need another investigation! I thought the GOP was the party of strong, silent men. When did they develop such a bent for crybabies, whiners and snivelers?
We are constantly forced to witness our commander in chief moaning and complaining about how "unfair" everyone is being to him. And now the Blubbering Brent is somehow tugging on the heartstrings of all the conservatives. What gives?
25
Jeff Flake's face was contrite, the pangs of a guilty conscience that could bear no longer. Thank you Jeff Flake for the much needed change. The others on his side of the aisle looked like dinosaurs caught in headlights, mumbling, the dastardly look of imbecility that was called on their faces. It was over.
All these wouldn't have happen had it not been for two courageous and abused women who cornered Flake in the elevator and wouldn't let go, until the fury of the man gave way to human sentiments, to contrition.
To the confessional with you, shameless Republicans, shameless men who knew darn well of your own predatory culture and wanting it to carry on, or hide it under the carpet. And you claim to be the standard bearers of Justice in America? Shame on you, Shame on Trump and shame on Republican America that brought a great country to its nadir, the shame of the civilized world!
Now lets vote these deviants out and start to repair and heal a torn apart country, bring human sentiments we can be proud of: empathy, compassion, rights and benefits to all, not only for the rich and bullies with mighty political power!
Go women, go!
27
Jeff Flake, a Trump foe, a potentially decent man, and above all, a Senator who is not seeking re-election, took what seems like a Wile E. Coyote step off a high cliff, just to ask that the FBI take a quick look into a controversial nominee.
What do they have on these people? Should we offer the members of the Republican Street Gang that's running this country Witness Protection, like Sammy Gravano, who also answered to a 'Teflon Don'.
"When you're a Repub,
You're Repub all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day.
When you're Repub,
Let them do what they can,
You got brothers around,
You're a family man!"
20
But in the end, they support the man.
6
This is a national moment similar to when CA governor Pete Wilson went all in against Latino /Hispanic immigrants in prop 187. It killed the statewide republican party in CA, probably for the foreseeable future by catalyzing Hispanic voters in CA and, it goes without saying, Wilson's political career. (yay). The national GOP is a similarly culturally blinkered and demographically challenged party. November and women are coming GOP, you have hastened your demise , thank you for that!
28
The myopic focus of identity politics permits Judge Kavanaugh to offer the number of female law clerks he’s hired as evidence of his support for women. It would allow Trump to offer an anti-chioce female nominee to replace Kavanaugh and blunt some of the current arguments against Kavanaugh.
DNA matters, however it shouldn’t represent the totality of arguments against the radical cabal occupying our branches of government. Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Coons had the temerity to be born white males; yet they have been some of the most effective opponents of this Administration and its unfit nominee for the Court along with their female colleagues on the Judiciary Committee.
Not all white men are like Lindsay Graham, Orrin Hatch, and Chuck Grassley. Enough with the racist, sexist, and simply lazy memes. Our current identity politics is driving away allies with similar positions on many of the important issues of the day.
13
After his diatribe on Thursday, can anyone believe that Kavanaugh can be the fair and open minded jurist that his supporters describe? If so, then I have a bridge for sale...cheap.
22
Slightly off topic, but Hatch, Grassley, and to a slightly lesser degree Graham, are living, breathing examples of the dire need for term limits in the Senate.
45
The more of Kavanaugh's performance (and I'm using that word deliberately) I saw, the less I thought of him and the less believable he was.
31
“This is all a gentlemen and women’s agreement,” said the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Approve Brett Kavanaugh Day.
Somehow this says it all.
6
I did get a kick out of Graham, Cornyn, and a few other Republicans criticizing the process and Washington DC. It's as if they are not part of Washington DC and therefore unable to fix the process. These guys are too bizarre for words. As others have mentioned there needs to be term limits so that some reality can be injected into this system and it's processes. Time to dig up these fossils and stick them in a museum.
30
A Kavanaugh is what happens in a chaos presidency. November 6.
16
Hearing Donald Trump, a man not known for his expansive vocabulary or his empathy, describing Dr. Blasey’s testimony of her sexual assault as “compelling,” leads me to believe that in the same way Kavanaugh was somewhat confused about the definition of “boofer,” our self-confessed sexual predator -in- chief, clearly got the definition of “compelling” mixed up. I don’t believe it’s a word he would ever knowingly use for anything pertaining to women.
26
"Or try picking a woman." YES!
11
Seeing Kavanaugh wrestling the facts of his past — or what he could remember of them — into something resembling a choir-boy existence with the occasional beer and off-color joke tossed in to 'man him up' would have been funny were it not so disturbing.
I was a hard partier in my early life, as were my closest friends. Most of us grew up safely and have the odd chuckle over how stupid we were and how only good luck allowed us to mature and finish our education with our brains and bodies intact.
But there are a couple of Kavanaughs in the mix. They were wild partiers as well, but then their mental metronome swung to the opposite extreme. They disavowed their own past and became arrogant, self-righteous prigs.
Kavanaugh seems to feel his sins have been absolved, but it was at a price. He's become a talented twister of the facts. A liar. And likely a liar who is dishonest even to himself.
The man is a talented attorney and could have a great future, but has no business standing in judgment of others in any court of law.
42
I hate to be the cloud over the sunny side but....Everyone thought Dr. Blasey Ford was credible...everyone has respect for her....everyone ackowledges she's a hero. BUT...what will/can everyone do about it? Confirm Kavanaugh anyway. Flake's motion doesn't count and in one week we can't be sure the FBI can accomplish anything..it looks like an empty gesture. AND....the aftermath comments brought up another memory. Some contrarians were referring to the extra week as doing no more than allowing more time for women to 'come out of the woodwork'. Wasn't that phrase used recently to a torrent of criticism that it was racist? Shouldn't there be a barrage of admonitions that it's insultig to women? But no, We're too busy patting Flake on the back in a bipartisan love-in because of an extra week.
10
The optics of the amazingly brave and dignified Dr Blasey Ford being so solicitous to her GOP inquisitioners while BK was an apoplectic entitled bully to the dem senators, particularly the female senators, says all you need to know about the gender gap in this country.
30
Good news for Jeff Flake . Apparently when you quit being a republican politician you get your soul back . Who knew it was only on loan .
16
If Harry Truman were with us and a member of the committee he would tell Judge Kavanaugh “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
154
So long as American culture continues to kill the man in women (denying women agency and worth) and the woman in men (feelings are weak), the tragedy of what happened to a young girl named Christine will continue to happen.
7
Thanks for helping us keep a perspective on all the nuttiness. And that last quote is a silver lining.
4
Thank you, Gail. Especially for pointing out that Ms Blasey Ford is the one who gets into the history books.
11
I was sickened by the comments of Hatch and Graham. Kavanaugh is unfit, but so are these two men. Graham's grand-standing before the cameras was unbelievable. I don't care why he did it -- whether he wants to be attorney general or whether he was truly upset and unable to control his emotions. It reflects badly on the U.S. Senate. The world is watching. Clean up your act.
All of these old men need to go. Vote in November and pray that eventually this political charade will end.
30
If Orrin Hatch's comment about Dr. Ford being "...an attractive ... witness ..." is remotely true, which I do not doubt in the least it is not, he needs to go back to Utah and play with the grand kids. He could be a poster child for one thing wrong with politics - old white men [I am one] over-staying their welcome. By the way, he could drop Senators Grassley and Cornyn off on the drive home. And if they won't leave voluntarily, which I suspect they won't, the next crusade should be term limits ideally led by women when they finish their current courageous effort.
19
Kavanaugh claimed he ripped up his original opening statement and wrote the new one, alone, the night before. After listening to it the most obvious question, and never asked, was he drinking when he wrote it? His statement, facial expressions and most of his answers only make sense if he was in the hangover stage.It doesn't show him in a good light but it would explain his weird behavior.
35
I would go for option A. Did not know that Senator Graham is single. Although how is that relevant? He should not hang around Mr Trump too much or he could end up in all sorts of trouble.
2
@ves scary thought the sex life of Senator Graham. I would not venture a look into his personal computer without a few buckets alongside of me.
4
"On the other hand, one of the lasting effects of the Kavanaugh drama might be to encourage ambitious young men to be more cautious about the way they behave when they’re at drinking parties."
Gail, I know you were at Woodstock. Those drugs you took have never worn off, apparently.
6
Sorry. Any human being of any gender out there who believed Kavanaugh over Ford is incomprehensible to me. Incomprehensible. She annihilated him. That's why Brett Stephens, seeing the yawning gap in believability between her testimony and his, desperately tries to argue the preposterous proposition that "believability is the road to ruin." Only if you are a supporter of the oligarchs who have been grooming Kavanaugh throughout his adulthood to be their hand-puppet on the Court, and who now see that the best laid plans of mice and oligarchs oft go agley.
9
If you believe that to respect others one has to first respect oneself, then you must conclude that a large part of Republican leadership simply lacks personal self-respect, which explains a lot of their behavior. One should feel sorry for them, having to live in such a skin, but that they do so much harm.
7
Judge Jekyll is a gentleman
But not so Mr Hyde.
Will we get the best of them
When it's time to decide?
13
There was bit of 'Deja-Vu' for some of the Nation, pausing to watch The Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill Hearings. The all-male panel with the lowered heads of the senators, the wretched wrap-up of the above, Orrin Hatch turning on his democratic friend, Ted Kennedy, with a reminder of his youthful days when tragedy struck the country.
While there are plenty of good people among us if we keep our eyes bright and open, there appears to be a singular lack of decent Republicans in this G.O.P. Surely this Republican Party must have a short list of other candidates to consider.
There is the matter of parenting skills that needs an ongoing face-lift. Revisiting the Past, there would be no telling at age 15 my divorced parents of this party anecdote. The Red Queen, as I call her, would have taken her daughter to the dry-cleaners, and Jack the Wolf in Ireland, once a Yalie, would have condemned his offspring for being a prude and a prig.
The former would have declared that my choice in going to a party, attended by male members of swill and swine, was deficient, while the latter roared 'Nothing happened. They were just having a bit of fun!'
Ms. Collins, nary a Republican cricket is to be heard humming in the garden this early dawn, and this American wishes to thank Mr. Richard Blumenthal for stating the courage of a mother to her sons. We have a long walk ahead, but our Nation can do better.
14
I found a certain irony in that yesterday was National Drink Beer Day. Perhaps Kavanaugh celebrated his "compelling" testimony with a few.
13
No, Lindsay, it’s not “the end of good people wanting to be judges”. It’s the end of “well-connected” people automatically having a leg up on the rest of us.
64
Never thought I'd see a day when a nominee to the Supreme Court would express their affinity for beer. Hey, guys, lets turn the Supreme Court into Animal House.
11
Just what do they teach students at Yale Law School in matters of attorney-jury interaction? Thursday’s hearing was not a trial, but the Senate Judiciary Committee still held Judge Kavanaugh’s fate in their hands. Yet he apparently thought it was a good idea to attack half the committee, frequently in very personal terms. That hasn’t happened much since Socrates, and we all know how that trial ended. Maybe Judge Kavanaugh can convince himself that his cup of hemlock is really a nice cold ‘ski.
9
"Whether it's passing immigration reform or authorization for use of force, we shouldn't continually say 'We'll pass what the president wants,'" said Jeff Flake at a commencement address on May 18, 2018. At that moment he became a national hero, although a lame duck.
Then first thing in the morning yesterday he says he'll confirm Kavanaugh and states he will explain his reasons at the hearing.
Shortly thereafter, he is trapped in an elevator, unable to respond to questions by persons enraged about his decision, under the glare of cell phone cameras. He was beyond embarrassed, and so were people aligned with his cop-out plan to vote Yes.
Is there anyone else who sees bad optics as at least part of his decision to speak to the 3 other swing vote senators to vote No until the FBI can investigate?
Trapped in an elevator like Tippi Hedron in the phone booth in "The Birds," he changes his mind about a vote. He might not want to go down as a goat but to me he is an accidental hero. It makes me wonder why he couldn't have taken a stand earlier in the day and say he would vote No.
For more insights on his sentiments as he stated at the commencement address, look it up. I'm not sure he is a goat, but it takes away his heroics about standing up to the president.
What was his reason for supporting the nomination? He wasn't worried about optics a couple of hours before the Elevator Incident.
7
Ms. Collins, thank you for some laughs (a Senate
scaring itself and Cory Booker’s self-restraint, among others) after this week.
7
A little comic relief before we stand around waiting for the tumbril to arrive. Who will be on it is anyone's guess. Not Ford, not BK but the Senate Judiciary Committee.
2
After seeing and hearing Dr, Blasey Ford's testimony and listening to Judge Kavanaugh's rants and rebuttals as well as looking through the many stories of his high school and college years, the true story of what happened some 36 years ago should be obvious to any casual observer.
Dr. Blasey Ford is an intelligent, well prepared professional who because of her educational preparation was able to explain in excruciating detail the most traumatic parts of a sexual attack that occurred 36 years ago. She was 100% crystal clear that her attacker was one Brett Kavanaugh.
The Judge, on the other hand, is in a state of total denial. His denial results from two main factors; one, he (and his companion) was totally drunk when the event occurred and two, the event was of no real significance to him, (it was not a traumatic experience for him). He was in an advanced state of drunkeness that can result in a total memory blackout of insignificant events that occur during his stupor.
She remembers clearly, he does not. She was sober, he was not. When sober, he is a total gentleman. When drunk (which apparently was a frequent occurrence) not so gentlemanly.
This week the FBI will hopefully be visiting the only other witness to the attack, the Judge's friend, Mr. Judge who has been in self imposed protective seclusion from an encounter with reality throughout the process. One would hope that Mr. Judge proves to be a better judge of the truth than the good Judge Kavanaugh.
14
I note the following: "But through it all, the great story was Blasey, whose appearance before the senators is going to change the way America looks at victims of sexual assault forever. For all the Republicans’ desire to undermine her testimony, nobody dared to withhold respect."
Amazing what telling the truth and not having a partisan ulterior motive does for credibility. Our politicians should try it.
18
Sadly, Kavanaugh is likely to be in the history books as a Supreme Court Justice. His partisan rant demonstrated his unfitness for the office.
9
Two takeaways from this hearing: Kavanaugh does not have the temperament nor character to be a judge; and Lindsey Graham does not have the temperament or character to be a senator.
68
While Jeff Flake should be applauded, at least to some extent, for ultimately standing up to insolent injustice, it should also be remembered that he is in the cheap seats because he is not running for reelection. It took brains and a modicum of decency, not guts, for him to do what he did.
Nonetheless, the storm clouds hovering over Republicans in the Senate cannot be blown away by Flake alone. Senate Republicans were right to do what they did by calling for an FBI investigation, but they did it because they had to, not because it was the right thing to do.
There is no sunny side involved, just a brief interregnum between storms.
21
While I recognize and bemoan tribal divide on the committee, I believe the press is once again falling into the “both sides are at fault” false equivalence trap. The Democrats showed more than a modicum of respect for the process, the nominee and their Republican colleagues. The Republicans showed contempt for the process, Dr. Ford (though they of course pretended not to while clinging to their preposterous mistaken identity theory), their Democratic colleagues, the institution they serve, as well as the democracy itself. To ignore that truth may be the most egregious form of fake news.
17
Perhaps most amazing was Kavanaugh's statement that he did not watch Ford's testimony. If true, it shows an utter disdain for her and that he had no intent to argue against the accuracy of her statements. Instead, he decided, no doubt on urging from Trump or the White House staff, to take the Trump-style aggressive, belligerent attack mode of ultra-denial.
Preparing his ad hominem assertions of left wing conspiracies, pro-Clinton conspiracies, and anti-Trump conspiracies were more important than listening to his attacker. And it seemed to work for Linsey Graham and most of the GOP.
But he was preaching to the converted. He needed to reach the unconverted; and he failed, which leaves him and us awaiting the results of the "limited" FBI investigation.
Hope is not a strategy, but I am left hoping that if it comes to it, at least two Republicans Senators will follow Truman's admonition: "When in doubt, do the right thing."
20
A guy I know - very Republican - is convinced Democrats made up Blasey's story, coached her and paid her, and he will not hear anything to the contrary. THIS is the problem. For every one of my Republican friends who speak out loud, there are fifty who believe the same thing but don't. They will not believe a thing a Democrat says, or disbelieve a thing a Republican says.
235
@Brookhawk
Do none of these men speak to their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters? If you just ask a few women you trust about their life experiences, the immense scope of the problem becomes clear. Maybe they never ask? Or do you think these men disbelieve them as well?
10
Unfortunately, the investigation Trump ordered will be limited to Ms. Blasey-Ford's allegations. No others will be looked into, even though other women have come forward. Presumably, the FBI will announce that the investigation was inconclusive, Jeff Flake will find comfort in that, Murkowski and Collins will vote with their party, and Kavanaugh will be seated on the most partisan Supreme Court we've ever had. And, there he'll be for the next 30 or 40 years. Since he has already expressed his belief in conspiracy theories and claimed the Clintons were somehow to blame for Ms. Blasey-Ford's testimony, it should be a little like having Alex Jones on the court, which should, at least, make for entertaining opinions. See, Gail is right. There's always a silver lining.
19
Indelible in the hippocampus is Merrick Garland.
Thanks to Dr. Ford for giving us the vocabulary to express our feelings.
59
Missed the forest for the trees. The real question is why has America allowed its Supreme Court to be filled with partisans, left and right, who rarely, rarely vote any way except along party lines. As a lawyer I no longer believe in impartial justice. "America" is an unrealized goal, not a reality.
41
Remember that there is lots of work to be done this week. A former FBI agent on tv last night pointed out that witnesses who knew Kavanaugh cannot wait to be contacted, because of the short time available they have to reach out to the FBI and provide their information. They can contact the local FBI office and talk to someone there. The mother of the woman who Kavanaugh assaulted outside of a bar needs to encourage her daughter to contact the FBI. Kavanaugh's roommates and acquaintances need to do the same. Attorneys, the Bar Association is considering whether to withdraw its rating of Kavanaugh as well qualified. Indeed in his original appointment to the bench they downgraded his rating to only "qualified" because of reports of his dismissive and improper treatment of attorneys and parties he dealt with. If you have been mistreated by Judge Kavanaugh, contact the Bar Association now. You watched courageous Christine Ford do her civic duty. Please, please, do your civic duty.
79
@Eero--The FBI investigation Trump ordered is limited to Ms. Blasey-Ford's allegations. No others will be considered. So, coming forward is meaningless.
1
Above and beyond all this, I would hate to hear, that one of our Supreme Court members was nicknamed, Bud Light!
He should be thankful for the little things in life. He didn't attend high school in Brooklyn NY. Especially the one that required an entrance exam. Though he probably would have passed. Achieving No 1 or 10 status would be as doubtful as his making the basketball team.
Yes. I too, argued with a friend that there are more than enough qualified folks that can be chosen for the SCOTUS position. Time to look at a few other resume's.
26
"Be more careful" at parties? This was not an accusation of carelessness, it was an accusation of a planned attack involving two people against one. Those are very different things.
25
Ms. Collins, you are indeed a national treasure.
49
Thank you, Gail, for trying to cheer us up before the weekend.Sunny and Senate are two words that never appear together in a sentence.This would be because of the bitter partisanship on the Judiciary Committee.The Republican men tried to mute their bias by hiring a woman to question Dr.Ford.When it came to asking questions of their candidate they took over - could not trust a woman to question a man-the questions to Kavanaugh had to be skewed to highlight his resume’.All the sunshine of the two days was provided by Jeff Flake who realized that the process was “tearing the country apart”.His wisdom saved the day -he was the source of sunlight.
25
@Janet Michael
While I agree with you that Jeff Flake did the right thing in holding out for a delay in the coronation of Mr. Kavanaugh, I feel that the source of sunlight was the young woman who confronted Senator Flake in the elevator and reminded him that he has a conscience, and that women count too in this society -- or would like to anyway. She spoke out with courage and conviction and I cherish her for it.
I suggest that a plaque be mounted in that elevator to commemorate her bravery. As if! An impossible dream, but one that sends me out into this sunny morning with a little smile.
24
Dems missed lots of opportunities to challenge Kavanaugh's testimony -- which would have demonstrated the importance of live hearings with live potential eyewitnesses instead of "canned" statements written by their lawyers. Wasn't it amazing that the nominee didn't watch Dr. Ford's testimony? Why not? Because he didn't want to be confronted, instead spending hours preparing his emotional rebuttal? How could Kavanaugh know that he never blacked-out or acted improperly during beer-charged parties? Is it the fact, as he testified, that he only went to parties and socialized with women from named Catholic schools -- never associating with women like Dr. Ford who attended a non-sectarian private school? Surely, there are witnesses who could testify on these and other areas. Demonstrating the need for a thorough FBI investigation, not constrained by Republicans' agitation for instant confirmation.
19
@Richard
Will the FBI have the time to explore his finances namely gambling debts and how they were paid off and by whom?
6
We liberals tend to believe in human ability to reform and be changed and healed. These allegations from his school days decades ago should be forgiven and forgotten. As an adult, he had lived an exemplary life of service.
3
@Joe Yoh
Perhaps. But I think it would take the courage of the offender to admit his actions for true forgiveness to occur.
5
@Joe Yoh If he had admitted to drinking to excess, saying he couldn't remember it but believed Ford and asked for forgiveness he would already have been sworn in. He lied repeatedly in his testimony on several issues and he is a partisan who will diminish women's rights in reproduction. I find his character lacking.
28
@Joe Yoh I'm confused. Are you saying that if he did attack Christine Blasey Ford, it should be "forgiven and forgotten?" And who are you suggesting do that, Dr. Blasey, or the rest of us?
Forgiveness first requires an admission of wrongdoing from Kavanaugh, an apology to Dr. Blasey, and repentance, which includes the offer of restitution of a kind that involves personal sacrifice.
You can't forgive and forget when the person insists there's nothing to forgive and forget.
29
The Republicans - including Flake, who may retire from Congress but is seen with POTUS ambition - are betting 1 week would give FBI little time to do anything. Fran Townsends, the Homeland chief under W, said it is just a matter of having the FBI to interview people. And Kavanaugh's buddies have already said they are like Jeff Sessions, that they don't recall. In other words, they are betting it will be still a he-said-she-said story and the angry anti-clintonite will follow the angry black man to part of the exclusive club of lifetime employment holding America's fate in his hands.
But not so fast! If Dir Wray, who was two years behind Kavanaugh at Yale Law, traveling in similar circles, is impartial at all, FBI has a lot at its disposal. At the very least, phone records and text messages between the related parties should be examined. Now the agency is authorized by the President to investigate, related governmental agencies should give its requests priority.
This is not a criminal investigation. So no one may go to jail -unless the person lies, then it would be obstruction of justice - but a job application actually carries a greater weight. Some people are rejected for a job because they have problems with the credit reports. And the SCOTUS is the rarest of all jobs. So far, there have been only 113 people. The Republicans thinking they can muddle through will not stand
21
Gail, Of course Anita Hill with her statement against Clarence Thomas was equally credible, but in the end it meant nothing as we were stuck with a man who has trashed almost every issue that would benefit Americans. Yes, Ms. Ford will be remembered, but I suspect the good old boys will eventually close up ranks and give us Bret Kavanaugh as a Clarence Thomas redux. After the Trump election I have little confidence that we have grown as a nation ethically or in any other way other than as a bastion for the good old boys and rich oligarchs.
54
So what happens when McConnell-Grassley receive the FBI report? Will they say "Nothing to see here. Move along?" A week is a long time in politics, but the confirmation of an associate justice should not be a matter of politics. Unless the sky falls, Democrats look to have been snookered, and Kav looks to be on the way to be safe at home plate. In that case, we must do our best, and then some, to turn out an overwhelming blue wave in November.
47
"From his affection for beer to the fact that he’s the kind of guy who says “she and I did not travel in the same social circles.”
Yes, that phrase conjured images of attending polo matches, eating cucumber sandwiches at the tennis club (with the crusts trimmed, of course), and going to mixers down at the CYO.
Instead, he was boofing with his friends, drinking until he "ralphed," and, according to Dr. Ford and others, assaulting young women. Anti-social circles is more like it.
91
I'm looking forward to watching SNL tonight. Brett Kavanaugh gave them so much material I fell I could almost write the script myself, starting with Judge Kavanaugh seated before the committee cracking open a beer can.
90
@David Forster
I had the same thought about SNL, and John Oliver. When Charles Grassley tried to reconvene after a break late Thursday afternoon, he asked aloud, "Where is the nominee, Judge Kavanaugh?" I thought, "Have you checked Clancy's? It's happy hour."
56
If there is anything about judge Kavanaugh ‘s testimony yesterday that might, I can only hope, make any senator think twice about voting yes for him is his belief that the “attack” against him is an idea brought forward by the Democrats and the Clintons. This is not judicial temperament this is paranoia, and extreme anger. I can also hope that the FBI will do a good job.
164
My feeling of hope when Senator Flake joined Senator Coons to delay the vote is tempered greatly by my despair at the thought of Graham, Grassley, and Hatch. These are three powerful men, one beholden to Trump and the other two who were so quick to believe Clarence Thomas and dismiss Anita Hill. They show no evidence of having evolved.
They enjoy their power and show no signs of relinquishing any of it. Yes, they will go along with this compromise because they have to, but
56
Thursday was brutal.
Seeing Lindsay Graham and Brett Kavanaugh bare their teeth and hiss like possums was behavior not seen in public in most people’s lives. The shape-shifting rage in Kavanaugh’s face was impossible for him to control.
Ms Ford’s connection to a simple American value to step forward even if it costs you was inspiring and unforgettable.
81
“Shape shifting rage of his face.”Perfect.
12
18 years since Anita Hill went up ahgainst now SC judge Thomas, and that ugly confirmation hearing is still spoken and written about. There are still many people who believe Thomas lied and Hill did not. Even now after all those years, whenever Thomas votes or speaks this gets brought up again.
This has not been to the advantage of the level of respect due to SC judges. If Kavanaugh is confirmed but doubts remain about his drinking and the accusations made by at least two women whose reputations are as good as Kavanaugh says his is, the SC will have on more person whose reputation will always be tainted and suspect.
18
Someone needs to ask Joan Baez or Arlo Guthrie to write The Ballad Blaise Ford while they are still around. This is similar to the moment during the McCarthy hearings when Joseph Welsh asked "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?". Blasie Ford's testimony is the turning point no matter the outcome of these hearings.
35
"Scary to imagine him sitting on a campaign finance case."
Scary to imagine him sitting on a case involving a Clinton donor.
33
I was just a kid around ten years old when I began my career in law enforcement running errands for the FBI who were pestering a poor kosher butcher in my neighborhood who was head of the local Communist Party; a man so dangerous to the security of this country that he was known to be a reader of the poetry of Walt Whitman and Partisan Review magazine.
Cigarettes, candy bars, newspapers, Cokes, hamburgers, milkshakes and rubbers I bought for them -- there was a fancy house in the neighborhood; and darn good tippers they were.
I’m glad they are after Kavanaugh today. It kinda makes up for some of the rough stuff they have pulled in the past.
11
Meanwhile I don’t think enough credit has been given to Rachel Mitchell’s dignified questioning of Ms. Blasey Ford.
Appointing her was at least one thing the republicans did get right.
11
@Vinnie Szabo "Rachel Mitchell’s dignified questioning of Ms. Blasey Ford. Appointing her was at least one thing the republicans did get right."
Well, only "right" in the sense that it allowed them to avoid embarassing themselves by insulting and harassing Blasey Ford (I suppose the latter was good - if you are going to ignore a witness you might as well not add injury to insult). We knew the answer before the questioning started. They were going to approve the nomination and letting Mitchell come to the conclusion that she would not have been able to bring a case to trial based on this testimony gave them cover.
9
Vinnie, but when she started to ask Kavanaugh real questions about why he kept a calendar from 1982, the Republicans shut her up and decided they would do the questioning. They hired her and then muzzled her.
13
@Bruce H
In any case, the questioning was done with delicacy and respect and I believe it contributed to the poignancy of Dr.Ford’s testimony.
The end result ( an FBI investigation - although limited in scope- ) is a better result than many expected and may shed some much needed light on these allegations and denials.
All kidding aside, and not to mention the much needed further FBI investigations pending, I surmise that Judge Kavanaugh has already disqualified himself, if not only on the basis of his much reported dissembling and less than forthright capability for truth telling, then also just merely upon his wanton display of personally intemperate, politically biased, and truly arrogant testimony lacking in all respect of measured judicial temperament.
218
@BobK
Well said. I saw the same behavior as you and all who were watching. He behaved like Trump and I believe he was trying to please Trump. Big Mistake. Trump doesn't get to vote.
6
Good things can indeed come out of bad.
A presidential candidate renowned for taking family vacations with a dog in a crate strapped to the roof of his car (though even this might have been better for the dog than the available alternatives) had the presence and name recognition four years later to be widely heard warning of another presidential candidate being a "phony."
Now that phony is over a year and a half into a Great wrecking operation run out of the White House, and has nominated a yes-man to the Supreme Court. However, if confirmed, that will take that yes-man away from TV cameras, thereby shielding America from at least from that instance of public embarrassment.
The disgraceful spectacle of the recent confirmation hearings, though another great embarrassment did at least show us one normal woman behaving politely, gracefully and intelligently. Maybe we can try to figure about how normal people so often become unnormal through public service nowadays.
Might that have something to do with "friends on the other side of the aisle," saying that "friends" across from them have done the "most despicable thing" ever seen in politics, in a room where there is no aisle to begin with?
7
"She's a profile in courage."
Yes. I'd say so. We haven't heard anything about Kavanuagh having to go into hiding from death threats. Or describe his most personal moments of trauma to a vast TV audience and a group of desiccated men.
I hate this whole episode. I am not sure what I hate most. The idea that a woman like Dr. Blasey Ford is doing this for politics? What so that they can go find another guy likely to be as conservative, because it's not like there was only ever one.
Or the idea that sexual assault is OK as long as it happened when you are drunk and young? That will make our daughters safer at college.
Or the idea that we have to prove the allegation to decide not to put Kavanaugh on the bench. Why? Why do we have to hire for life the guy with an asterisk on his record, rather than someone who does not? Why is it necessary for men to prove that he is a great guy falsely charged, or assume that in light of no defining evidence of actual truth?
Why aren't the GOP men outraged having been handed such a tainted candidate? Why aren't they demanding a better choice. Oh yeah. Because the short term goal of getting this settled before the midterms outweighs the life time term on the Court.
Yes, I have hated this whole episode. Trump didn't drain the swamp. He just made all the swamp monsters more powerful.
117
I wouldn't get all excited at the possibility that Kavanaugh will not make it to the Supreme Court just because Senator Flake managed to pull off this coup against Lindsay Graham and friends.
Call me a cynic but the FBI report could come back with a tale of years of drunken behavior for Kavanaugh, no proof of actual sexual misconduct, a virtual panoply of little lies under oath misrepresenting his youth, but all Republican senators will still vote to confirm - including Jeff Flake.
Unless the FBI determines criminal activity and opens a criminal investigation, nothing will stop the GOP from putting the man on SCOTUS. Flake has supported Kavanaugh from the beginning - his anguish is figuring out how to do so despite Kavanaugh's abhorrent behavior. Even Collins and Murkowski wanted to see only an FBI probe - none of them have voiced an opinion that Kavanaugh is unfit for SCOTUS.
This is why the Dems must not be lulled into "who is right" in the he said, she said issue or even on his perpetual lying. Rather, they ought to start a campaign pressing on Kavanaugh's behavior and conduct at the hearing - defensiveness, belligerence, evasiveness, politicization, anti-Democratic partisanship, and ultimately a disrespect for the rule of law and for determining the facts.
Political ads replaying over and over again his retort to Amy Klobachar and such from the hearing puts on display how contemptible, loathsome, and unworthy he would be.
93
@Mimi
If nothing else, he lied about the drinking age in Maryland as a teenager. He also was evasive about the use of stolen Democratic Senate materials when he was in the White House. The drinking age should constitute perjury; there are multiple reasons to reject Kavanaugh. We must continue to remind the swing vote Senators of that fact. A clean (or sanitized) bill of health from the FBI should not resolve the efforts to defeat this man.
18
@Mimi
If the FBI discovers "years of drunken behavior" on the part of someone who has said under oath that he never drank to excess, they have discovered perjury. Surely that's enough to disqualify him.
6
In addition to appreciating Sen. Flake's actions today, I'd like to think the speeches from Sen. Leahy and especially Sen. Whitehouse may have also been instrumental in changing Flake's mind. Watching all the Democrat Senators on the Judicial Committee over the last few days has left me with a profound case of senator envy.
Oh well, I guess I'll take my senatorial disappointment and "plow through this" too.
19
And Mr. Coons too.
8
" . . . . A lot of Republicans carefully said that everybody was right. Chairman Chuck Grassley managed to announce he found both witnesses “credible.”
Another "there are good people on both sides" moment. Unbelievable.
32
Despite the sinister newts and toads of Kavanaugh's and Graham's screeds yesterday, there were some bright flashes of welcome beauty and sunshine over the past 36 hours. Those warming glimpses were Dr. Christine Blasey Ford; Senator Jeff Flake; the two women who confronted Senator Flake this morning; and Senator Chris Coons. Without them, there would be no FBI investigation beginning tonight. Without them, the take-no-prisoners death match of the GOP and Democrats would be just that--a signal of death to our republic.
Those bright patches of glorious light--of reason over passion--were enough to give me faith that we WILL survive all this "American carnage" wrought by the forces of grievance, loss, entitlement and anger. After the brilliance of Dr. Blasey Ford's integrity and humanity, I felt during Kavanaugh's opening statement that I was hearing Trump's dark inaugural address again; they shared the arrogance and narcissism of a man who felt roundly confident of his lordly power to wield without challenge. Carnage indeed. But then, this afternoon it had flipped around.
I can almost reclaim my belief that that most perfect set of 18th century Enlightenment documents may not have been rendered obsolete quite yet. I believe in and revere the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; they are documents of light and hope and confidence. May we be worthy of them once more.
13
After Mitch McConnell promised to plow right through the confirmation process and after listening to the good old boys during the hearings, I got the impression that Judge Kavanaugh could shoot someone on Fifth Ave. and that Republicans would still vote for his confirmation.
183
The most bizarre outcome was that the nation has to wait while a thrice married man who bragged about grabbing women’s private parts and who has had 16 women accuse him of sexual harassment was charged with deciding if there was enough evidence to warrant an FBI investigation. The close of a perfectly crazy week.
28
We should follow the example of Gail Collins and think positively about the past week of the ongoing Kavanaugh confirmation hearing and the performance of the various senators.
The best way for pessimists to engage in positive thinking is to reflect upon how much worse a recent event could have been.
Uh-oh. A very unpleasant and dishonest man was approved Friday to proceed toward a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
Thinking positively, the approval was only by the Judiciary Committee. It could have been a floor vote by the entire Senate.
Uh-oh. There will still probably be a Senate floor vote soon to confirm Brett Kavanaugh for the judicial seat for which he feels so entitled and for which he is so unfit because of bad character and temperament.
Thinking positively, thanks to the intervention of the lame-duck, Hamlet-like Republican Senator Jeff Flake, the floor vote will be delayed for a week while a very inspiring woman, Christine Blasey Ford, gets the F.B.I. investigation of the sexual assault on her by Kavanaugh.
Uh-oh. Even if the investigation forces withdrawal of Kavanaugh, he will be replaced by another Federalist Society conservative who is anti-choice and overly sympathetic to the daily concerns of rich people.
Thinking positively, the new nominee may not harbor Kavanaugh’s belief that Republican presidents are above the law and can do pretty much anything they wish.
And, so on and so forth.
13
@sdw – if Kavanaugh's name is withdrawn, is it not possible that the prez could name someone with a temperament more desirable for a SC justice, however conservative?
2
@Sally B
You hit on a crucial point: these confirmation hearings shoud be about fitness (on which basis BK should be rejected) and not political idologies. A Democratic president is always going to nominate a liberal and a Republican president is going to nominate a conservative: we have to get over thinking we can change this. But both liberals and conservative can and must be qualified by temperament, knowledge, ethics, etc. The kind of partisanship (as opposed to political philosophy) that Kavanaugh has shown should also be disqualifying.
The bit about trump saying she was compelling was more than likely his daughter telling him that. Then he did his parrot thing. Imagine for a moment, the Don listening to her testimony. The wall paper might have come unglued from all the curses hurling about. Do those television screens have spittle protectors I wonder?
7
I thought this was about finding the truth through the obvious difficulties of the case, most of all the imperfect human memory.
A "triumph" because of how Dr Ford handled herself during the half-day may have made you 'feel' better, or you decided to perceive it one so that you can feel better, but when people confuse one's need to feel better with what needs to be done dismays me.
These days I think I'm seeing many liberals are getting a taste of what the MAGA crowd felt two years ago, and are liking it. I have seen many cynical political maneuvers and whitewashing, but the level of prejudgement and disregard for the truth by the Times and many of its writers are just shocking.
2
I don’t feel better. I would feel better if the scandal never arose. I would feel better if the committee had halted the hearings and ordered an investigation. I’d feel better if Kavanaugh withdrew, or at least admitted to youthful indiscretion.
His indignation is pitiful. If he really wanted to protect his family, he wouldn’t persist in pursuing the nomination. They’re out of the headlines the moment he withdraws.
16
@"J Park
"Disregard for the truth?" and you support Trump?
The man of 5000 lies?
10
"Just take away Brett Kavanaugh and it was a great week."
Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
79
@Douglas McNeill
"Just take away Brett Kavanaugh and it was a great week."
Just take away Donald Trump and it will be a better world.
4
Wonderful analysis. I thought both Grassley and Graham should be removed from the committee - the former for talking down to Senator Feinstein and the latter for his nonsensical tirade. As for Kavanaugh- it’s difficult to see his supposed brilliance and definitely should not be on the Supreme Court. Angry dunks will always be angry drunks - and he is a mean angry drunk - does his wife know it? Who knows how the vote will go down? So much better if K withdraws.
23
I needed some humor after this harrowing week, and you provided it. Thanks, even though this is no laughing matter.
8
Gail, I enjoyed your column but must question one thing you wrote. You said it was “impossible” that they both had been truthful, in responding to a comment Senator Grassley made. This implies that one of them must be entirely telling the truth and the other must be entirely lying. I think it is entirely possible that they both completely believe what they are saying.
Dr. Ford obviously believes what she says happened. Judge Kavanaugh may have been so drunk, based on recollections of Dr. Ford herself and others about his frequent heavy drinking and close friendship at the time with Mark Judge, another admitted heavy drinker (in his own 1997 book, entitled “Wasted”), that he has no recollection of what happened that night. So it is possible Kavanaugh truly has no memory of it, which is why he is so convinced he didn’t do it.
So we have two different issues here—whether the assault happened, but also if it did whether he even remembers it happened.
But here the bottom line is no different, however. If one entirely believes Dr. Ford’s testimony, Kavanaugh should not be appointed, whether or not he truly believes what he is saying, or remembers what happened that night.
11
@Jack Sonville. It’s true that Kavanaugh has no recollection of this event, making his assertion that he never drank to the point of black out/amnesia, false.
4
@Jack Sonville The issue is actually the ease with which Kavanaugh lies. If he doesn't remember the event because he was so drunk, then he lied yet again when he said he wasn't a heavy drinker. Binge drinking makes you a heavy drinker and a problem drinker. It's crazy how we now find liars acceptable in our government, from the President on down.
5
We can only hope that your colleague, Bret Stephens, will read your column, Gail. He has this "boofed" idea that both Blasey and Kavanaugh are equally believable, a sort of pathetic hand wringing unjustified by what we all witnessed the entire lamentable week leading to Thursday's hearings. The poor guy can't quite shed his male, white, mysoginist GOP credentials. Thank you for doing Bret's homework by pointing out glaring inconsistencies sufficient, if not to disqualify Kavanaugh, at least to require an FBI investigation, albeit to last one week only... those on the GOP side in a hurry to get this over with and install their puppet asap.
52
@Jacques Triplett –
it is also unfortunate not only that the FBI investigation is to take no longer than 1 week, but that it's to be 'limited in scope;' that is, apparently they will only be investigating Dr Ford's allegation.
It would be instructive if they could also find out who paid Kavanaugh's gambling debts.
10
“She is a profile in courage and her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone.”
That much is certainly true isn't it? I suspect she is the only one history will deem worthy of such consideration. All the rest are proving themselves 2nd rate actors in a drama that has long since spun into farce.
John~
American Net'Zen
6
The one invention I really am interested in seeing scientists bring to perfection soon is a 100 percent accurate truth detector.
(I call it a truth detector because truth is a much rarer commodity in this world than lies and therefore much harder to detect and bring to light.)
Think what a boon it would be for mankind.
Political candidates getting strapped into them while campaigning.
President Trump answering questions at news conferences standing in front of a big electric box with lights and buzzers.
Celebrities and Congressmen and University Presidents and Cabinet Officials and Fox News hosts and FBI agents and local cops and clergymen of all faiths all being forced to tell the truth for a change.
Imagine what fun this would be with questions like “Mr. President, is that a wig?”
13
I doubt the FBI will find a smoking gun. The smoke dissipated ages ago. What likely remain are memories of the smell of smoke. Was young Brett Kavanaugh a staggering drunk? Do his acquaintances then agree with his explanations of entries in his yearbook? Are we to believe his explanation of the Renate "club", boffing, etc?
But beyond that, the nation needed to pause and put his performance before the committee into perspective. Is the man we saw attacking Democrats really the kind of person whose judgement and character we should trust on the highest court in the land?
Kavanaugh was really only vetted by one, far right group, The Federalist Society. Apparently, they and the President considered his past as a nasty political operative an asset overall. They all believed he would be the vote to give to corporations while taking from workers, women, and minorities - voting with the GOP to make their vision the law of the land.
How could they know who he was as a person? He was an entitled man with a past they neither knew nor wanted to know about. He was, after all, one of them.
33
"Some Republicans predicted that if Kavanaugh lost, every man in America would be afraid to accept an important judicial post."
I beg to differ!
If offered a seat on the SCOTUS I will accept it. Just because I'm not a lawyer should not be a hindrance, might even be a "plus".
There are probably better reasons for shutting up, Lindsey, than simply being a single, white male from S.C.
The less said about Booker the better.
On balance, the hearing was worse than watching sausage being made.
5
We witnessed the triumph of Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford and Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona in the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing yesterday. One person, the accuser of Trump's SCOTUS nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the other, the junior Senator from Arizona, compatriot of the late Sen. John McCain together have restored America's hope in the rule of law and the process of our democracy. A woman, 100% credible that she was sexually assaulted by a Supreme Court Nominee in high school in Maryland. A man, a federal judge, who insisted, while weeping and drinking little bottles of water, that he was 100% positive that he had never attended a teenagers' drinks party in MD. The real-life conundrum of an irresistible force meeting an unmovable object. Jeff Flake deserves our thanks for his soul-burning decision to allow the FBI to further investigate the President's Supreme Court nominee. The chips will fall where they may. But there is great hope for our democracy and our belief that no man is above the law.
29
@Nan SocolowIf Jeff Flake REALLY had the neon for America's welfare that he has voiced repeatedly, just before then voting for giant tax cuts for the 1% for instance, then he has a simple, fool-proof, and powerful option: declare himself a Democrat, right now. Then, meet with the other supposedly principled Republican Senators, such as Susan Collins, and convince her to become a Democrat. The Senate immediately changes hands, committee heads and the attendant majorities change hands, Kavanaugh is defeated in a floor vote, and Trump is left having to stone-wall a new nominee for two-plus years. In case you think this can't happen, look back in history just a short while. Look up the name of VT Senator Jim Jeffords.
3
Kavanaugh may believe he's telling the truth. He was probably drunk enough on the night in question that he doesn't remember Dr Blasey Ford as the girl he assaulted, and he may feel it wasn't even an assault as they didn't have intercourse. This doesn't let him off the hook, and doesn't lessen the impact of Dr Blasey Ford's testimony.
47
Seeing Lindsey Graham’s over the top performance for Trump’s benefit made me want to “Ralph.” It wasn’t Oscar worthy, more Razzie material. Nonetheless, watching 11 male Republican senators “hiding behind a woman’s skirt” and not ask Dr. Blasey any questions was one for the history books. It made some of their Democratic counterparts look really good. Kudos to Jeff Flake for proving that Republican men do have a heart – better late than never. He may be leaving the august body, but he might have just saved the republic.
33
@richardluettgen
Testimony is evidence. There was no presumption of veracity for Dr. Ford. She was credible because of the compelling way she testified. If you were not aware of this fact, women complaining witness have routinely been blamed for their assaults requiring laws such as rape shield (prior consensual sex with others inadmissible at trial) to level the field of relevant evidence in front of the factfinder. Questions about what women were wearing and whether they were “asking for it” have had to be fielded and objected to in the past.
So maybe what you are really angry about is the dangerous possibility of fairness, of women becoming equal and taken seriously.
It’s about time.
39
The weekly highlight for me was wondering what the faculty adviser for Brett Kavanaugh's yearbook was on when he/she proofread his yearbook entry.
63
@Monta1052
He went to a Jesuit school so it was no doubt a priest. That should tell you enough.
5
I hope there is good that comes out of this. I hope girls and women don't stay quiet. I also hope that old white males like Graham and their opinions about good judges leave the public sphere.
88
@Anthony – furthermore, we can hope that this case presents a teaching moment for young people now in school:
your past is never going to go away, so conduct yourselves accordingly.
6
"By the end of the week you got the impression that the senators had frightened even themselves." One would wish that lasted.
36
Gail, I'd use superlatives to thank you, but they're ruined since Trump uses "wonderful" to describe his children after they meet with Russian operatives, and "beautiful" to describe statues of white supremacists.
This is a breath of fresh air. Thanks for reminding us that "The great story was Blasey, whose appearance before the senators is going to change the way America looks at victims of sexual assault forever. For all the Republicans’ desire to undermine her testimony, nobody dared to withhold respect."
I was so angry and depressed by the hearing, but became ill reading how Times op-ed columnists Bret Stephens and Ross Douthat wrote of it. Douthat pretended Democrats tore the country apart by turning the hearing into "the Dreyfus Affair." It classifies as a most dangerous and insane conspiracy theory considering what happened to Alfred Dreyfus and why. Stephens told us no one could accept Blasey’s "especially believable allegations" because it would spawn conspiracy theories like "Obama birtherism" and "The Deep State." Putting aside his timeline, it meant that since Trump and Alex Jones have poisoned America with post-Truth disinformation, believing Blasey would damage America.
Thanks for reminding everyone what Truth actually looks like, that “Blasey was the one who triumphed. ‘You should be proud of your mom,’ Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal said to Blasey’s sons. She is a profile in courage and her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone.’”
111
I, like many progressives, have never loved Jeff Flake for his conservative policies. But you have to respect Flake for being willing to seek solutions on many issues, and you certainly have to respect his standing up to Trump, a stance for which Ryan and McConnell lacked the required courage. Flake showed us humanity, humility and character that seems completely lacking in the Republican congress. One wonders if the Republicans will ever find their character again. The entire country owes Prof. Ford and Flake gratitude for their courage, irrespective of what the FBI investigation reveals. And if Kavanaugh is elevated to the Supreme Court, we can only hope that he has a moment of self-examination and realizes why Prof. Ford appeared more worthy of the Court than he did.
10
The mention of Biden and the scenes of him harassing Anita Hill means I would never vote for him. It was bad enough that he gave Neil Kinnock’s speech but the remembrance of 27 years ago decided the issue.
2
@Richard Murphy At least he admitted he was wrong and apologized. I wouldn't vote for him in a primary because it's time all old men go and yield the reins to the younger generations. But if he's the Democratic nominee, I will hold my nose and vote for him.
5
@Richard Murphy –
true, but Biden did vote NO on Thomas.
5
You've nailed it, Gail. That we should be so grateful for small favors like Flake finally stopping stifle his conscience and his deep friendship with Chris Coons, tells us how bad off this divided country is.
But while the "all male" GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee seem to have their feet planted firmly in the last century, at least the country got to see a side of Kavanaugh never seen before.
I for one will never forget how much rage altered his face--and his judgment. If I didn't know better, I'd say what Kavanaugh said (and how he looked saying it) reminded me of a callow teen defending his privileged place in elite circles circa 1982.
So I also wonder this: should Kavanaugh end up being confirmed, won't many of us question if his judicial opinions are personal or straight out of the playbook of Donald Trump?
35
Thanks Gail Collins! Your contribution is a refreshingly light endcap to several days of great historical importance. Now, on to the next dates with History: Will the U.S. Senate, and subsequently will American voters, do the right thing?
13
"Just take away Brett Kavanaugh and it was a great week," says the subheading to this column. Sort of like saying, "Just take away Trump and it was a great couple of years."
Unfortunately, Trump will still be POTUS even if Kavanaugh doesn't get enough votes to be on SCOTUS and the man is unhinged enough to nominate someone worse than Kavanaugh (Roy Moore?) to the Supreme Court, probably with support from the likes of Senator Graham.
It is hard to pick a weirdest moment from the list you gave, Gail. But the weirdest of the last couple of years, at least for me, is Senator Graham going from being Sen. McCain's best friend to Trump's best friend.
52
Exactly. Graham certainly must be a chameleon of the first order.
3
"enemies seeking “revenge on behalf of the Clintons” and “outside left-wing opposition groups.”"
These events certainly are related to the 2016 Presidential election, and the sense of outrage that arose from that.
Hillary certainly is a leader of that outrage movement. She fund raises off it, her every appearance is news, and my own emails include fundraising appeals with her name on them near every day.
None of this would have happened without the ill feeling connected with the election and the reaction to disappointed expectations for Hillary.
5
@Mark Thomason: But what about Gorsuch? His nomination came very soon after the election, and the seat being filled on the court was one the Republicans had unjustly held open for almost a year, denying Obama his legitimate right to fill it.
The recent fight "happened" because Christine Blasey Ford made a credible accusation of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh. That's important, whether you're capable of seeing it or not.
2
@Mark Thomason
You are correct in saying that none of this would have happened without the ill feelings connected with the election. It has little to do with Hillary. It has everything to do with the Republican's deal with the devil in their singleminded pursuit of their agenda to the exclusion of the values once believed to be essential to our democracy. Those who still cherish those values will have to constantly fight against the tide of authoritarianism now promising to swamp our once great country.
19
@Mark Thomason
"None of this would have happened without the ill feeling connected with the election and the reaction to disappointed expectations for Hillary."
Neil Gorsuch received Democratic support so your revenge narrative here holds no water. It is truly ridiculous to assert that Democrats would have overlooked sexual assault allegations against ANY nominee, let alone one who lied frequently about the most trivial matters during his testimony and still has unanswered questions about irregular personal finances and hundreds of thousands of documents withheld from the committee and its review.
Kavanaugh acts more like a partisan operative (which he once was) than a SC judge (which hopefully he will not be). He is the one acting like he seeks to get revenge, not HRC or the Democrats.
30
It is time now to hear from the eight people who can affect the outcome of the Kavanaugh nomination in a positive way, the members of the Supreme Court. Yes, it would be unprecedented, but what's that got to do with anything now? They should make the last unanimous decision they may ever make and tell the President they don't want Kavanaugh on the Court with them.
32
@Richard Mclaughlin
I too would love to see the Eight, led by Ruth Bader Ginzberg, march across the Mall up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a friendly call on the Source of the Kavanaugh fiasco/ scandal/ tragedy. Not sure it can happen, constitutionally speaking. But surely John Roberts must have a way of signalling to Trump that he must replace this nominee with one more fit to serve on the Court.
2
You’d think that by now, Kavanaugh would have enough sense to ask Trump to withdraw his nomination. Even if he were to be confirmed, Kavanaugh’s tenure on the Supreme Court will be filled with controversy and demands that he recuse himself from cases with obvious political overtones, such as challenges over gerrymandering, powers of the Executive branch, voter suppression and many others.
It would be supremely divisive for Kavanaugh to be elevated to the Court after Thursday’s tirade.
99
@PaulB67
The Senate Republicans need to consider, especially after Kavanaugh's hyper-partisan bloviating during Thursday's hearing, how they expect John Roberts to manage the integrity of the Supreme Court over the next decade or so. Passing on this nomination is likely to make Roberts' job really difficult for a really long time.
16
@PaulB67: He can simply refuse to recuse himself and nobody can do anything about it. Scalia abused it; you can bet Kavanaugh would, too.
13
I have participated in many appointment interviews. One walking into Kavanaugh's emotional, accusatory haranguing of his interviewers, and told oly that it was in effect a job interview, would be sure of the candidate's failure.
55
No fruit needs to be thrown at Gail. These past 24 hours post testimony have been a wild and exhausting roller coaster ride. Graham referring to Dr. Ford’s testimony as “garbage” was infuriating. The two young women who bravely confronted Jeff Flake in the elevator provided a moment of cautious optimism, followed by the fear of the vote, and then the drama of the postponed vote, where every moment on the clock was fraught with meaning. Finally, Flake’s request for the FBI investigation provided a renewed sense of optimism to cling to in the coming days. Exhausting though it was, something important and historic happened Friday morning, and this crack of light creeping into the darkness is real, and hugely appreciated.
60
"You may have guessed that our topic for today is The Power of Positive Thinking".
Way too late for that! I'm not really sure when the "Constitutional Crisis" was in our sites, but we missed it's presence. It's upon us as a Nation now.
What was that saying about the frog in in a pan of continuously heated water? Stick a fork in us now, we're done!
17
It appears that Kavanaugh gave Dr. Ford a life sentence before he was even a high school graduate, or a licensed attorney. If the FBI finds credible evidence of illegal behavior on K's part, regardless of the fact that it occurred over 30 yrs. ago. Dr. Ford should file a complaint with the local police, and see if there is a case to be answered. If so, it's long overdue that he be tried. If convicted, he should be suitably sentenced, lose his law license and be removed from the Federal Appellate bench where he currently occupies an "appointment for life". This is the message that American women, and women all over the world need to see.
124
The most chilling part of the Friday meeting of the Judiciary Committee was Graham's statement that there was a process before Kavanaugh and a process after Kavanaugh, and his implied threat of how he would run the committee in the event of Grassley's retirement.
As for Flake, he is no Lone Ranger riding to the rescue in a fleeting moment of courage. He has been a solid vote for the Repulicans, including ignoring the nomination of Merrick Garland, and for Trump. He may comport himself with dignity, but actions speak louder than words.
89
He was, for this moment, a hero. I thank him for that.
20
@Maryanna...While I can appreciate your sentiment, I do not share it. Flake thinks he is going to be President and the last thing he needs is that film clip of him in the elevator being accosted by two activists shortly after he announced he was going to vote to confirm plastered over the air waves.
@Maryanna
Unless Flake was - as has happened before with his empty grandstanding - simply covering his, er, assumption that he'll vote for Kavanaugh anyway.
Flake's soul-search aka Hamlet remake:
"To be or not to be a creature of the GOP base. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous post-Senate fortune... Alas, poor Blasey Ford. I knew her, Lindsey."
Mr. Stephens’ position would make good sense to me if we were talking about a legal case in a court of law. We are not. We are talking about a job interview—an interview for a position that will affect all Americans. Would, for example, any responsible board of directors of a major corporation hire a candidate for CEO if the due diligence process had uncovered credible information—from several sources—that the candidate had previously engaged in sexual harassment, in injudicious drinking, in fudging the truth, in exhibiting belligerence? Might not that board consider taking a pass on said applicant based on the credible information?
109
I guess it's good news for Trump that the nation is talking about Kavanaugh and Blassey Ford and the upcoming FBI investigation to the extent that no one seems to have remembered that he, too, is under investigation. I wonder if he had planned this all along.
70
@stu freeman
Or maybe it is good for the nation that trump is talking about Kavanaugh and Ford and not the Russia investigation. I'm not sure he can think about two things at the same time.
22
@sjs
He can, as long as both of them are himself.
Wait …….
1
*Just take away Brett Kavanaugh and it was a great week*
Or: "other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
243
Gail, how many ambitious 16 year old males die you know that were cautious after a few drinks? Sixteen year olds have uncontrollable hormones, 14 year old girls are in their sights. Most of us knew there were limits, but you can not say we did not try to see how far those limits were.
So for Kavanaugh to claim choir boy behavior seems pretty evasive to me. I have know many rowdy boys in my lifetime, most of them turned out pretty good, but we were not from privileged families and private schools. He sounds, looks like, and acted like a frat boy,
As for Republican senators, Graham showed us all what a polite, manly southern senator he is, or wants us to believe he is, I am sure all the women watching just adored his southern politeness and sobbed along with the judge. We all thrilled at his non partisanship, and considered how he would treat a liberal argument before the court.
If Kavanaugh drinks beer, what does Graham drink. As for Hatch a member of the LDS, he does not drink alcohol, so what is his excuse?
Unlike Pogo, we have seen the enemy, and it is them.
266
@David Underwood Sorry sir, I am a man and have been 16 years old and have never at any age assoulted a girl or a woman, drunk or otherwise. Uncontrollable? Please.
4
I was surprised that Kavanaugh never said he was an Eagle Scout...or a kitchen sink, because that's all he left out.
I leave it to Dandy Don Meredith, of Monday Night Football fame, to provide the most appropriate song for beer-loving Judge "Boofer" and his drinking buddy, "Boofer" Judge: "Turn out the lights, the party's over."
124
I admire your optimism, Gail. Hearing Sen. Graham accuse his Democratic colleagues of putting politics before justice was too much even for me. The whole thing has us turning into a banana republic.
224
@M. Did you ever wonder why Banana Republics are the way they are? Take a look at the history of, for instance, Guatemala, and the US coup in 1954 that destroyed democracy there and installed the murderous regime that continues to this day, prompting among other things, the refugee/immigration crisis of people fleeing the county in desperation.
We are Banafying ourselves, now, after having done it to so many others over the years.
9
"The Kavanaugh nomination’s trip through the Judiciary Committee was stupendously depressing. But the chaotic finale seemed like a relief."
Imho, I thought the perfect ending would have been for Kavanaugh's comportment to have cost him not only a possible seat on the Supreme Court, but (by whatever mechanism) his current judgeship on the Court of Appeals. Can you imagine having to try a case in his courtroom after the display he put on? How could any attorney respect a judge who acts like that... unabashedly... in the most public forum imaginable?
Well, you know what they say. It ain't over 'til the fat lady reads the FBI report.
364
@D Price
And there might be grounds to disbar him, if he's found to have perjured himself.
5
It is horrifying to see Lindsey Graham devolve not only into Trump's mouthpiece, but to become increasingly like Donald.
Witness the Trump-esque projection. Graham accused Democrats of being desperate to take the seat from Kavanaugh and hoping to win in 2020. But Graham himself was part of the Republican theft of President Obama's Supreme Court placement - which happened because the GOP wanted to and could, and were so determined to win in 2016 that they supported a national embarrassment for president.
Graham is one to talk!
759
@NM
I agree. I also think that Graham wants to be AG and the way to accomplish it is to act in ways that appeal to Trump (never admit anything, destroy your opponents, etc., etc.). I suspect that the same is true of Kavanaugh, he too, was performing for the audience of one--after all, he was carefully groomed for the hearing by the White House.
46
@NM - It's amazing what a few rounds of free golf with
Donald Trump will do for Lindsey's affections.
7
The irony of a room full of lawyers with few in the room acknowledging basic rules of evidence . In the words of Joe Friday and those visiting FBI agents, "just the facts, ma'am."
6
@ACJ
I had that same thought. All those lawyers and none seemed to remember how to question a witness and to keep him/her on track. They allowed BK to evade answering, to reply with irrelevant anecdotes, to offer testimony that was full of inaccuracies and half or truths or outright non-truths, to filibuster. They missed their opportunity.
2
I'm not sure my liver will survive this period. Or my sanity. Seriously, both have been overworked this week. After watching the Judiciary Committee hearings yesterday, I need a shower. Not just with soap and water but the kind you get after being exposed to some biohazard capable of extinguishing humanity. Will someone please gently rouse me when this is over?
68
Calgon, take HIM away. Please.
14
The single white elderly male from South Carolina bears an uncanny resemblance to Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show. Maybe that’s a clue to retire, and allow those from THIS century to take over.
Seriously.
158
@Phyliss Dalmatian
That's not very fair to Aunt Bea--she was a very nice lady!
4
@Phyliss Dalmatian LOL! Aunt Bea indeed! If only he were wearing a wig and her housedress, the image would be perfect.
8
Brett Kavanaugh gave Trump a 1-week reprieve from being the Most Hated Man in America.
214
@Lynn
Totally accurate.
7
A little off topic, but if Dr Ford was going to, out of the blue, construct a lie to derail Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, why in the world would she construct this one, when she could have gone the Full Monty and claimed rape, with no one else present?
The fact that her story was revealed last minute was to protect both her and Kavanaugh should he not have received the nomination. And finally, as he revealed, his qualifications for supreme court go only as far as conservative legal groups, Heritage Foundation and the like, deem acceptable.
re Lindseed Oily Graham's totally off subject Oscar winning performance, for the benefit of Trump, some Democratic senator should have simply said "MG"
49
@JEB: And why would she put a witness in the room who was sure to be sympathetic to Kavanaugh?
13
@JEB
It is the same logic that brought the conspiracy that Obama's parents put birth announcements in the Honolulu newspapers from their hut in Kenya.
8
This made me laugh. Thank you.
13
It's miserably disheartening when a psychology professor with no power or role in government displays more courage and integrity than the whole of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
433
@CRT I’m going to politely disagree (not with the courage and integrity part).
She showed us that we as individuals DO have the power. She comported herself in a way that I could only hope to aspire to, with logic and a quiet forcefulness that made us all listen. And believe.
I’m hoping she galvanizes all is us to understand our Power of One.
15
@CRT, actually it’s very heartening to me. It shows what power “We the People” actually have. If we all get out and vote, and protest, and work, we can make this country attempt to live up to the ideals that were set forth long ago.
15
@CRT
Well, the whole of the republican side of the Senate Judiciary committee.
It's very clear that Dr. Blasey would prefer her name be in the history books for something other than this horror show.
43
Yale, Harvard, the ABA and my goodness, the Jesuits, are all backing away from Kavanaugh. Trump may see the writing on the wall but since he can't read, shouldn't Kavanaugh withdraw? Somehow elite white male privilege probably won't let him. The Bart O'Kavanaugh we saw Thursday afternoon would find it impossible to take his marbles and go home. We are living out the Chinese curse of living in interesting times. If only it didn't hurt so many of us.
251
America is crumbling . . . I find myself holding my breath waiting for our Fort Sumter moment.
22
President Trump can heal the country by withdrawing Kavanaugh's name and nominating Merrick Garland.
1003
@big al It wouldn't heal the country. We'd have to find a 53-year-old Merrick Garland, finish the Mueller investigation, put truth back in the White House press room, for starters.
But your suggestion would surely help.
8
Agreed. Unfortunately, Trump’s interest is not healing. It’s having a SCOTUS that will not charge a president with crimes.
12
Big Al:
In case you didn’t notice, healing the country is not on Trump’s agenda. Dividing the country is.
7
Thank You Gail. I had almost lost the ability to smile.
17
My fear is that should Kavanaugh fail to be confirmed the next candidate will be an even scarier right wing woman,
Perhaps that was the plan all along!
8
Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal said to Blasey’s sons. “She is a profile in courage and her name will be in the history books long after ours are gone.”
One can hope.
75
If Kavanaugh had taken and passed a lie detector test, the Republicans would have shouted it from the housetops. They didn’t, so he didn’t. Next nominee, please!
132
@Jeremy Mott
I was waiting for the question: "State whether or not you have taken a lie detector test."
Also, no one zeroed in on his years as a Deke and T&C member at Yale.
4
Grassley and Hatch are the best advertisements for term limits.
879
"Grassley and Hatch are the best advertisements for term limits."
We already have term limits; they're called elections. I don't like Grassley or Hatch either, but I am very happy with the Senate delegation from my home state of Connecticut. I don't want anyone telling me I can't re-elect them.
34
@justthefactsma'am
And perhaps age limits.
5
@justthefactsma'am
And don't forget Senator Dianne Feinstein. Hey I am a social liberal and fiscal conservative. I have predictably voted Democratic my entire life for the following reasons:
Until women and men are truly equal, we are not equal.
Until people of color are equal, they are not equal.
Until people who want to love whoever they want to love, they are not equal.
I used to feel like Dianne was worth swallowing over when I voted because she was a moderate, knew how to get things done, understood the process, and kept her head low. I felt like what ever stances she took that I did not agree with, she plodded along with others that were important but not flashy.
Okay enough of that. She appeared feeble, and over her head during Judge Kavanaugh's hearing yesterday. She allowed him to STOMP on her, with out a single repercussion. She was gaveled out by Grassley who also appears to old and tired to do his job. Hey I am not a kid - working on 60, but come on. This was really hard to see.
5
Thanks, Ms. Collins, as always, for the columns I simply can't wait for the arrival of the morning paper to read. This time, however, despite the fact that you made me want to cheer your every word, you omitted something so important that I'm surprised: the fact that Jeff Flake did his damnedest to ignore the women on the elevator, but because he was trapped and forced into decency mode, he did what we had hoped he'd do. He objected. For God's sake, does it take a guy on his way out to stand up, at least halfway (and let's not misunderstand because he voted in favor of the candidate, did he not?), to do what is the right thing?
68
The most entertaining moment of "Bart" Kavanaugh's testimony for me was when he claimed that he had a weak stomach.
Beer would not be my first choice of beverage if I had a weak stomach.
But he likes beer. He may have said "I like beer" even more times than that phrase comes up in the Tom T. Hall song.
170
@Joel Geier, to Nick Kristof's point who would hire Mr Kavanaugh, I would suggest beer companies would. They do need a taster who can sample their beer before it hits the market. Mr Kavanaugh surely has good taste in beer.
7
The country indeed learned a more fulsome profile of Judge Kavanaugh and what we diacovered is not good at all. He lacks the temperament and independence for a SCOTUS judgeship.
Graham’s Senate shelf life expired long ago and must be retired. Ditto, Grassley and Hatch. There has to be term limits, otherwise, “professional “ politicians eventually become so disconnected with present reality that their legislative decisions hurt the nation.
140
@Sam
I have to share what my wife came up with in regard to Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley, which was "He should take the next stage coach back to Iowa."
15
The picture I'll remember most is Lindsey Graham glaring in the direction of the side door where the Flake negotiations were taking place. I'm certain that yesterday the Kavanaugh anger act and the Graham juvenile outburst were rehearsed during those White House meetings. In fact, in the Bush White House, Kavanaugh would be the hack directing the production instead of McGahan.
The travesty of the whole extravaganza is that if the FBI finds the evidence, Trump will blame the Democrat agents.
76
Yes! Let's test the proposition that the end of Brett Kavanaugh would mean that no qualified person would be willing to serve on the Supreme Court.
I'll bet Barack Obama could give these good old boys a list.
142
@David in Toledo
He should be ON the list.
7
@David in Toledo
How about Barck Obama for supreme court? Or even better,Michelle?
6
A man is ultimately judged by deeds - not words. Jeff Flake truly rose to the occasion today.
7
''A lot of Republicans carefully said that everybody was right.'' - And there you have it.
What essentially happened was Senator Flake (on the outs from the Senate, but still a republican in a supposed republican state still having to work, covering his behind) ''demanded'' for an investigation that will be limited in scope and limited in time frame.
No one will be ''compelled'' to offer anything, and anyone can say to bugger off to anyone flashing an FBI badge, for they will not be subpoenaed or under any oath.
In a week, the FBI will come back with the same (inconclusive) and that will be more than enough cover for a few ''moderate'' republican Senators (and a few Democrats) to vote for the nominee. They can hold up their hands and point to some sort of due diligence, but we all know that this is merely a prelude.
But hey, look on the bright side - coat hangers are soon going to become in fashion again.
Too soon ?
89
@FunkyIrishman
"and a few Democrats) to vote for the nominee."
Oh God no! No Democrat in the Senate should vote for this nominee or any other nominee because of Merrick Garland. I don't know why their caucus didn't vow to take this tack the day after the Trumpster was elected.
5
republicans knew who they were appointing and they did it anyway. as mitch said "don't get rattled we are going to plow right through this". ooops..... obamas DID get two terms and brett may have to get used to the appeals court.
23
It seems to me that men who are victims of sexual abuse act differently from women. They are guided by the definition of masculine behavior to mask what is perceived as damaged goods, masked by anger, drug abuse, alcoholism. In my observation of Judge Kavanaugh on Thursday, I sense a man who experienced abuse, perhaps as an altar boy within the Catholic church, within the Georgetown Prep environment. His protest to it was to turn his violent outburst toward women, rather than accusing the models of masculinity within his reality. While Dr. Ford has the strength to express what occurred, Kavanuagh never will.
18
You've got to love how Lindsey Graham has come out of his shell since the passing of John McCain. The GOP mob was milling around with pitchforks and torches, they needed someone to point them in the direction of city hall to burn it down, he jumped right in. He has gone from another corpse on the road to the White House to chief yahoo ready to hand out billy sticks and incite mayhem. I do believe he has higher aspirations.
117
Kavanaugh blurted out what the other conservative candidates managed not to: that's he's got a partisan axe to grind. So much for the "umpire" canard they all trot out in their hearings; fortunately we can finally retire that tiresome myth.
140
If Mark Judge has to go on the record, good night. I'd suppose Kavanaugh's testimony will be worth five cents a ream if that afterward. The only alternative is that Kavanaugh's choir boy nonsense has some relationship to reality, which is ridiculous.
18
Well, and also for about a whole 48 hours we forgot all about whether Trump was about to fire Rosenstein. Trump seems to have forgotten, too.
76
I'm of the opinion that Rachel Mitchell did such a lousy job of entrapping Dr. Christine Blasey Ford into blurting out "I just made it up out of spite" that Republicans pulled her from the afternoon session when their choir boy, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, was set to mount his high horse.
After the beery, teary opening, Charles Grassley no doubt suspected that the president's protégé (proxy?) might veer off script and blurt out "hey, I was just a kid; lay off, will ya?"
The 11 Republican Marx Brothers; oh, sorry, I meant Senators, stumbled all over themselves defending the indefensible. They overlooked anger, deceit and damaging history ("the Clintons") and the almost unending succession of sob stories that perhaps even they were relieved at the end of the proceedings.
The judge may have been the last one to speak but his lasting impression will be one of outraged entitlement, the kind of "how dare you not confirm me to the manner to which I was born?"
Maybe the Republicans didn't see the unbridled anger coming but, once out of the bottle, that genii wasn't going back in. They cannot now pass it off as "righteous indignation" in the defense of wife, children, church and home. The judge's entire performance seemed like a hangover from 1982; he was all over the place with stumbling incoherence and weepy reminiscences.
My sunny take on this is that Dr. Blasey Ford has nothing to prove while the judge has everything to lose. Thursday, he went a long way toward doing just that.
137
It's common knowledge in AA that an alcoholic stops maturing when they start abusing alcohol and that explains a lot about Kavanaugh's performance yesterday. We all witnessed a 15 year old boy who argued as if he shouldn't be grounded because all the other boys were doing it too. I understand that he should have been angry but his anger and partisan sniping showed an emotional immaturity that disqualifies him for one of the highest seats in our land. He grew up with great privilege, great schooling and great ambition. The problem seems to be that he just never, really, grew up.
504
@Rick Gage Totally agree! The infantile behavior, according to AA, also can be stopped and the person back to maturing if he is in recovery. This man shows no signs of recovery, which also requires making amends to those he wronged during use.
To add to your observation: the calendar he produced astonished me. My friends and I had a good laugh over it. Who keeps a calendar from his high school days for 36 years? Someone who is still stuck in those days. Plenty of people never, ever get over high school because it was a signature time of their lives. That calendar suggested arrested development.
10
@Rick Gage I suspected the same arrested development.
9
@Rick Gage. ... yes to this. I had the same thought. Neuroscience has shown that heavy teenage drinking stunts emotional development. Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday acted like an enraged teenager. No court would ever permit such behavior. But the Republicans on the panel loved it.
9
I think Kavanaugh was right about one thing. He knows that the public associates Clarence Thomas, forever, with what he did to Anita Hill. Kavanaugh already knows that if he is seated on the court, people will think of him as a drunken sexual assaulter, forever.
The right way to handle this, for Kavanaugh, would have been to come clean, admit to blackout drinking, and apologize for any harm he might have done while talking about how he'd changed his ways and how he wanted to set things right.
But Kavanaugh went the other way. He wanted to convince us that he has literally done nothing wrong, ever. Those are the terms he set for the debate. Now he must live up to them -- proving to us that he is precisely the virginal choir boy who never had a blackout night in his life. Good luck with that, buddy.
He is so wounded by the idea that he'll always be seen as a serial sexual predator that he hasn't stopped to realize that he most likely spent at least a decade being a serial sexual predator -- and another decade picking female law clerks based on their "hotness" factor. Cry me a river, Brett. No, really. Cry your sad little tears about the loss of your reputation. Then spare some for your victims, who have suffered far worse.
219
@RVC
I've been wondering how his wife felt about his tirade, the crying and sniffling.
8
This cute effort normalizes inexcusable behavior.
For non Supreme Court judges lying under oath and refusing to answer questions and announcing your whacked out partisan take on American government, along with threats to the republic, are disqualifications and inexcusable in a judge. THERE ARE ACTUAL RULES YOU KNOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS IN COURT. PEOPLE UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THEY ARE HELD IN CONTEMPT AND JAILED IF THEY DONT. THEY MAY NOT QUESTION THE QUESTIONER. JUDGES KEEP IT THIS WAY. IT IS THE JOB. BRETT SPIT ON IT ALL.
The issue was not Ford. Though only she showed any honor. Including editorial writers only she showed honor.
The man was tested under oath in the Senate and during the test proved he is unfit to hold the Judicial Power of the United States of America. TODAY THOUSANDS DID BETTER UNDER GREATER PRESSURE UNDER OATH WITH MORE AT STAKE INCLUDING THEIR VERY FREEDOM ACROSS THE NATION.
But go on being cute. More important. Gossip is fun. Who cares about how Justice works? Reality Tv is such fun. hahaha.
36
@In deed, you missed seeing the sharp point of Gail's irony. Perhaps because you were so horrified by the hearings.
27
While on the general subject of women and the respect that they are owed on sheer merit, it's worth noting that Arizona's jellyfish senator, Jeff Flake, "announced he was going to demand an F.B.I. investigation" only after two women cornered him in an elevator and -- on camera -- made clear how morally repugnant he was for asserting, moments earlier, that he would vote for the Kavanaugh nomination, no strings attached.
Well, he changed his mind, didn't he? Even though he had to be shamed into it.
The women's names are Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher, and, along with the awe-inspiringly courageous Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, they deserve America's deepest gratitude.
462
No, Gail, it was not, as you say, a "wildly partisan yelling match." Not one democrat yelled. Like your colleagues Bruni and Stephens, you have become a both sider-ist. Sad!
92
@Big Frank Agreed, I thought the Democratic Senators acted with respect for the process and while they grilled Kavanaugh, they did not scream at the top of their lungs, like the crazed Lindsey Graham, nor were they disingenuous. At the end of the day, one decent republican, who I disagree with on almost everything, showed that he had a heart. And even though Kavanaugh will probably be confirmed, there is hope that better people will step up and be heard.
25
@Big Frank
You’re exactly right.
In what way were Democrats “wildly partisan” in their questioning? They sought answers, and pressed Kavanaugh when he prevaricated.
How dare they engage in such partisan antics.
5
What exactly does boof mean anyway?
8
@Jay Why
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/boof
There are five definitions offered. Kavanaugh did not mention being a kayaker so that leaves four.
18
Ahh this illumines the source of Sire Brettski's exquisite taste in fine portables.
1
Much has been said about Kavanaugh's atrocious display of evasion, petulance, blaming and uncontrolled rage.
What's been missing from commentary, though, is the clear indication of his need for control and his instinct for cruelty.
In response to questions based on allegations he was voluntarily there to address, Kavanaugh arrogantly, nastily badgered senators. Instead of giving clear, straightforward answers, he had the gall to demand to know whether one senator had ever blacked out from drinking, and whether another did or did not like beer.
This behavior - befitting a toddler caught in an infraction, not a judge testifying before the Judiciary Committee - was an instant disqualifier for SCOTUS, even absent grounds for further investigation.
A concern that seems overlooked, however, is the consistency of Kavanaugh's behavior with that of the domestic or workplace abuser, who conducts himself with poise and polish until his desires are crossed or his power is jeopardized.
Cue the gaslighting, with its angry blame-shifting, mockery, false equivalences, tearful victimhood, and threats of dire fates (ruining me! ruining my family!) unless the apostasy is recanted. Olive branches follow, once control is restored.
Kavanaugh showed himself a ready practitioner of the abuser's classic tactics. His cruelty and feckless apology to Sen. Klobuchar only reinforced his accusers' credibility.
Needing control, using cruelty to preserve it: hallmarks of a bully. An abuser.
808
@Pam
Interesting comment. Makes me wonder about his home life. Makes me wonder if his wife keeps hearing him say "look what you made me do!"
21
@Pam
He was just channeling his inner Trump.
4
Many of us are heartbroken at the willful debasement of the Senate, the Supreme Court, and our democracy by this administration and the GOP in Congress. After heartbreak is anger.
Transform your anger into action: campaign for candidates you believe in for the November 6 election. Sign up to contact voters through postcardstovoters.org. Canvass, call, text, and tweet. Get out the vote. VOTE.
It's up to each of us to defend democracy against authoritarianism, bigotry (including misogyny), and corruption.
235
Ms. Collins,
What a delight! I'd like an apple too, but the point is this woman's citizenship. She should have a memorial near Lincoln because she freed the slaves to silence. Judge Kavanaugh may ascend but he reminds me of a child with a vest of explosives strapped on to kill "the enemies".
His vanity and arrogance is so pathetic and he is totally ignorant of what an actual black out is and does. I remember talking with some friends and then woke up in my bed, 25 miles away. I drove home without any recall of the event. I hope I didn't kill anybody. I never had more than 2 drinks at a party after that frightening experience.
It was a Doctor who explained what had happened. Dr. Ford explained her own recall and it is possible both these people are telling the truth but, Judge Kavanaugh has so much more hidden in shame. GOPers treat him like a roll of toilet paper, he tells himself he is entitled to authority. What a tragedy of the old school but the Gods are not named. I like a fresh Macintosh.
38
"Just take away Brett Kavanaugh and it was a great week."
His weepy, weak-chinned visage - his partisan conspiracy accusations - his refusal to answer basic questions - his complete disrespect for every woman and every Democrat in that room - his wet-lipped, unseemly lust for beer - his windup toy response to Trump instructing him to rage, attack and deny in front of the committee.
Please, just take away Brett Kavanaugh. Period.
213
"There was the time a congressmen beat a senator to a bloody pulp with his cane. That was, however, in 1856." Heh. Thank you, Gail Collins, for including that factoid; it's been rattling around in my head for the past few weeks or so.
Perhaps you can relate to my social media post on this subject, in which I said of Blasey Ford: She was a rock star. She was steady as a rock and shined like a star.
64
What must it be like to be a Republican? If I woke up one day and found that I'd been transformed into one, my first thought would be that Franz Kafka was scripting my life.
Republicans certainly are different animals. They strain to produce an appearance of fairness, all the while steering things the way they were going to do it anyway.
If it hadn't been for that stunning elevator speech delivered by two actual human women, I'm not sure we'd be breathing a small sigh of at least temporary relief.
Kavanaugh is a real bonus for these guys. They already stole a nomination from Barack Obama, so it's only fair that this one might give them a bit of trouble. They've had the benefit of Clarence Thomas sitting on the court for decades when he demonstrated tasteless and unwelcome sexual aggression. And most of our current G.O.P. Congressmen have aided and abetted the stupid policies of an even stupider president, all the while telling us that tax breaks for billionaires would benefit the little guy.
Haven't they won enough?
It's no joke to say that I might have a small idea of how Dr. Ford felt when she was being smothered by a smarmy, privileged conservative buck who was intent on conquering someone who, conveniently, couldn't fight back.
My fervent hope is that the rest of us have had enough. Kavanaugh or no Kavanaugh, we need render them powerless come November.
634
@gemli
I'm thinking Flake had the intention of doing what he did anyway--even before the hectoring by the ladies at the elevator. He is an honorable man.
Graham said good people won't want to be judges. Merrick Garland is a good person. The Republicans didn't give him a chance.
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@Linda, I nominate Barack Obama for SCOTUS! Anyone who would kindly second that? He has written couple of honest memoirs and tell-alls even before he became President. And he proved to all of us what a good decent person he is, as is his wife, who would also make a really decent SCOTUS.
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@Linda Perhaps the real lesson here is that *bad* people should not want to be judges.
1
Well said, Linda.
4
Kavanaugh. may be smarter than Trump
But his persona resides in his rump,
Despite Judicial status
A rightwing loopy lattice
A barroom Lothario lump.
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We all know that what the United States Supreme Court truly lacks is a tight-lipped, angry, mean, vengeful, dissembling, highly partisan, thin-skinned, adult-frat-boy who's addicted to charging baseball games tickets to his credit card, who has an royal view of the Presidency and who attacks his job interviewers for doing their job.
Not only did Brett Kavanaugh completely disqualify himself as a Supreme Court and lower court judge, he appears well-suited only for the jobs of exploding human volcano and beer salesman.
Who thought this tropical storm of a human being was a good fit for the Supreme Court ?!
"Only the best cads, creeps, cretins and Kavanaughs !"
November 6 2018
Vote for Democrats in record numbers....and throw the Republican fraternity from hell out of elected office.
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@Socrates Based on the number of times Kavanaugh mentioned "Beer", I don't think baseball is the only thing he is addicted to. His whole persona reeks of that of an alcoholic. I wonder if that is what he is trying to hide?
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As my mom used to say, “There’s more than one fish in the sea.” Surely we can do better than Brett Kavanaugh for this lifetime appointment. His opinion that the President of the United States should be above the law is scary. His self-pitying cries that his life and his family are being destroyed is nonsense, and since when do we appoint anyone out of pity? And while he never acknowledged any wrong-doing as a 17 year old, there have been comments that since it was so long ago, it is not relevant. Well, I suspect that he will get another job. At best, his behavior as a teenager is disgusting, at worst criminal as attested to by a courageous and credible woman, and the probability that he is lying about, it should disqualify him. And, sorry folks, his behavior is relevant for this position. He needs to look elsewhere for a job.
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You’re absolutely right about that job interview. The guy in the afternoon was terrible! He may know statutes and all, but he’s some sort of weird damaged goods. I just can’t see him fitting in with the rest of the staff. The last thing that we need is another sullen, resentful guy up there in a black robe, we made that mistake once already.
Hey, how about that female candidate who spoke in the morning? She was smart, poised, respectful of everyone and the process. I know her legal background is a little thin for the post, but as far as character and temperament she knocked it out of the park! I think Associate Justice Blasey Ford sounds great!
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There's so MUCH in a name.
"Anthony Weiner". "Jeff Flake".
'Nuff said?
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Good argument Rich!
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@Desi
Mess with best … die like the rest.
1
Indeed. A common diminutive form of "Richard," for example--he one most frequently applied to Nixon.
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Ms. Collins, let us hope your conclusion that "by the end of the week senators may have frightened themselves" is accurate.
There may be other chairs of committees who are more partisan (and clueless) than Grassley, but they rarely get the media coverage he got this week. My favorite Grassley "action" was his slipping a highly partisan statement in just as he introduced the next senator to speak! These mean little remarks totally clashed with the statements he read when he wanted to appear non-partisan.
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Supreme Court members should know that conspiracies, power plays, seeking revenge, and extreme partisanship are possibilities that are sometimes real and sometimes invented by the other side. They should know that both the reality and the accusation of extreme partisanship hurt the workings of democracy; whrn the accusations are true, they indicate that democracy has already been hurt.
Supreme Court members should be the sort of people who abhor these sorts of behavior and try in their rulings to make them more difficult to do and less fruitful in their results. They should not be willing to join, excuse, or ignore any such partisan movement that is willing to put reason and honesty aside for the sake of victory.
Kavanaugh is, by his words, either such a partisan or willing to appear as one. In either case, he has disqualified himself from being on the Supreme Court, and perhaps from continuing in his present position.
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@sdavidc9
Kavanaugh has richly demonstrated that he lacks the requisite "judicial temperament" needed for his present as well as his desired job.
His petulance, paranoia, and rage tells us that he is too volatile for such a serious position where probity, restraint, and intellectual rigor are necessary qualities. He may have been urged/coached by the president to assume the sense of anger and grievance that characterize Trump's discourse but it will not have served Kavanaugh well. His lashing out at a cabal of unseen enemies and his disdain and rudeness towards the Democrats among his "judges" in this job application shows that he is driven by anger, yes, but also by fear.
There must be some very dark (half-)memories lurking in Kavanaugh's youthful past that will break to the surface like pustules. CBS looked at his yearbook terms, etc. and at best he was dissembling to Senator Whitehouse and others, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boofed-devils-triangle-ffffffourth-of-july-.... And it seems that the drinking age in 1982 was 21 so Kavanaugh was NOT drinking legally while in high school. All these tip his testimony from half-truths to perjury. The FBI may flip this week from a background check to a criminal investigation.
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Christine Blasey Ford gave compelling and believable testimony of a horrific experience. I just wish that her beach friends had advised her to take her info to the Republicans on the Senate committee too. I also wish that Diane Feinstein had shared the info, anonymously, with her Republican colleagues.
The right outcome would have been what she had hoped for - to cause Brett Kavanuagh to withdraw before this became a public spectacle.
But the right thing didn't happen and the good thing, maybe even better thing, is that she has opened the door to other women testifying about their experiences.
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@Mike Marks: As a US citizen, Ford turned to her elected representatives for help. All of them happen to be Democrats. Only if she had politics in mind would she have "taken her info to the Republicans on the Senate committee too."
This woman had no political motives at all. It was clearly all personal with her.
17
Bravo to Jeff Flake and Chris Coons, but Christine Blasey Ford has done the heaviest lifting over the past 48 hours. As Ms. Collins avers, her two sons "should be proud of their mom."
I hope and believe that they are. I am, and regardless of political stripe the rest of the country should be, too.
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It’s interesting that Gail apparently believes that women-specific issues should so dominate congressional cud-chewing ruminations that all others need to be set on the back-burner or simply must be discounted. This attitude, however, is emblematic of one strain of political thought – the one that accepts that dreadful damage to the reputation and life of any mere male individual must be tolerated regardless of guilt or innocence so long as the presumption of veracity is maintained for a female accuser, regardless of the lack of any evidence corroborating guilt or geological ages having passed between an alleged act and the actual allegation. This willingness to subsume legitimate rights of individuals to secure collective class-based interests actually is very … Democratic with a capital “D”.
Oh, we can retain rules of evidence to protect ALL of us against unfair charges for everything ELSE, but let’s protect the inviolability of what any woman says happened to her sexually without any need to actually PROVE anything. It’s only fair, given the (decidedly grudging) willingness of women not to emasculate every man, living, dead or yet to be born, for real and imagined wrongs done them. We still can be a society of laws … with one exception.
We can even consider sugar subsidies … only accept that pregnant women need an adequate supply of sugar to manufacture milk, so women should be more heavily subsidized to assure an adequate supply of this precious commodity, and …
2
… to make sure that indigence does not bar access to it. And be very sure that congressional discussions of such subsidies are driven primarily by this concern.
I really love Democrats. All the ills of our political dysfunction can be lain at the feet of their most destructive convictions, particularly that class-based interests trump the rights of individuals and the need to bind together the TOTALITY of our nation.
But Richard Blumenthal unquestionably had it right: Christine Blasey Ford’s name WILL live in history LONG after HIS has disappeared from it.
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@Richard Luettgen
Obviously Mr. Luettgen, you doubt Dr. Blasey-Ford's truthfulness, one of your contention's being too much time has passed for Dr. Ford to remember details from an incident that happened so long ago. When I was 11 years old a man exposed himself to me. I am 73 years old and to this very day I remember the man's exact words to me as he opened the car door and took away a bit of my innocence; "I'll bet I've got something you've never seen before". I am not trying to be crude, I was terrified, and I had nightmares for weeks, and the memory of the encounter remains with me. Who but someone like yourself could have listened to Dr. Ford's story about the incident she alleges occurred and give it no credence? You also stated that there was no corroboration to her story, knowing very well that the Republicans had not allowed any witnesses to speak nor an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh. He might have been investigated before by them, but that was before the allegations by Dr. Ford. Does it not seem odd that Kavanaugh maintained that he wanted to clear his name but would not call for the FBI to investigate? If you knew you had nothing to hide, would you not want and even welcome such an investigation? Senator Jeff Flake certainly concluded that was exactly what is needed. This isn't about destroying a man's reputation, it is about getting to the truth. Is that too much ask for such an important appointment as Supreme Court Justice?
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@Richard Luettgen
Don’t assault women, even in high school.
Don’t drink so heavily so you don’t even remember assaulting women, even in high school
Take responsibility
Don’t lie.
Follow these simple paths in your life and you have a good chance of never being accused of assaulting women.
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Before I comment on another fine column from Ms Collins, I would like to say - and I hope he reads your pieces, Gail, "Thank you, Mr. Flake. Today you brought dignity and integrity to your party and the Senate at large. I will miss your fairness."
Okay, now.. Yes, this was a heart-wrenching week indeed, in fact viscerally unsettling. I myself spent a restless night for several reasons. The first being Christine Blasey Ford. Her courage, honesty, grace under so, so much pressure should never be forgotten. At her own risk, she spoke to the sanctity of the Supreme Court as well as protecting and advocating for all of us women of different races, creeds, and ethnicities.
I was worried for her, for us. Adding to the angst, was Senator Graham's inappropriate tirade. But most of all, it was fear of Kavanaugh, and he still might be our next SC Justice. Yet, how can one juxtapose his rants, anger, vindictiveness, blatant partisanship, self-pitying, and evasion of simple yes or no answers with the exemplary behavior and temperament that is crucial on the Bench? It is no longer about ideology, although I disagree with Kavanaugh's leanings. As with Mr. Trump, it is about character and moral fiber. That is it in a nutshell, is it not? Because without ethics and a moral compass, compassion and empathy, a democracy can not survive.
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@Kathy Lollock
Flake is covering his rear. As are all the professional hand wringers. Collins. Murkowski.
For pity’s sake. He is just a hand wringer who wants the same things as the Trumpists. Get ready for
‘I did all I could and reluctantly decided the burden of proof was not met to decline the nominee so I will vote yes.’
Sucker.
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@Kathy Lollock
I'm thinking Graham's tirade came out because, as he said during the preceding recess (in the hallway) to the media, he "felt ambushed". Why? Because Dr. Ford had just testified publicly and millions of people saw her on camera. She was credible and he felt Dems had gotten away with making this a public event--instead of a private one taking place in California behind closed doors, as Republicans preferred. Where they could, in effect, "sweep her testimony under a rug". Think about it. Kavanaugh would still be their gleaming SCOTUS nominee if she hadn't been testifying in front of the cameras with millions watching.
13
Christine Blasey Ford. My words cannot express that gratitude I have for this great American.
Dr. Ford told a story to the world that speaks to what has and continues to happen every day to women in every corner of the globe. And more of those stories will be told in the future, thanks to Dr. Ford.
And there will be justice!
590
At this point, it seems likely that both Ms. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh are telling the truth as far as they know. However, this is mere conjecture. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the FBI discovers this week.
Thank you Senator Flake for holding fast to your demand that the Senate floor vote be delayed for a week to give the FBI time to investigate. Whether they appreciate it or not, you have helped both the nominee and the Republican Party with this demand.
On the other hand, quoting the "Viet Nam Veteran" Senator Blumenthal and his comment to Ms. Ford's family just reminded me of the lying sleaziness of the Senate. Why Connecticut voters choose to be represented by this false warrior is beyond me.
9
The Republicans are in a no win situation. Either Kavanaugh doesn't get confirmed, subjecting them to the possibility of Democrats not allowing a vote on the candidate, or they place a man on the Supreme Court who has already shown himself to be a bully, with a strong sense of entitlement.
Film doesn't lie, though. Kavanaugh comes across as a mean, social climbing frat boy, who will do or say anything. Blasey projects the opposite.
Even the old Republicans on the Committee might sense this, but they don't care. Their goal is the gravy train- getting in the Koch, Monsanto, and Cargill troughs means big lifetime income. Their souls won't care, though- what's left of them will be screaming in horror.
706
Has anyone considered that the person who continually testified that he "likes beer" had been drinking some of that before (and perhaps even during) the hearing? It sure seemed that way at times, given his wildly shifting emotions, belligerence, and inconsistent assertions.
566
I was thinking the same thing. His behavior on Thursday was similar to that of someone who had "too much' the evening before, and was consequently feeling ragged and jagged the next morning
68
@PJ Alcoholics have emotional instability, tendency toward weepiness, etc., even when they're not drinking. The brain's neurotransmitters become imbalanced in response to the effects of alcohol.
100
@PJ. The thought crossed my mind.
17
It was ludicrous that Kavanaugh suggested he had been treated differently from Neil Gorsuch because of "the calendar" - meaning the midterms. But the reverse is true. Republicans feel more political pressure to hurry him through as an accomplishment, but Senate Democrats in red states, like Tester and McCaskill, are in a bind due to the timing. But Kavanaugh is desperate to skirt that he has baggage which Gorsuch didn't.
This is a good reminder, though, of how important voting is. The Senate is up for grabs. Democrats need a majority to block any of Trump's unacceptable Supreme Court appointments. This likely won't be the last vacancy, either. Voting Democratic is the best hope for giving only to worthy people lifetime appointments on our highest court.
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@NM
McCaskill and Tester are in a bind? They should vote no because of Merrick Garland period.
4
It was nice of Grassley to say that, but the problem is that a lot of us don't find him at all credible, which leaves us with the problem of should we believe he thinks they are, or is he gaslighting us, and if he is, who does he think he's fooling. Anyway, thank you, Gail, for your brilliant summary.
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"A lot of Republicans carefully said that everybody was right. Chairman Chuck Grassley managed to announce he found both witnesses 'credible.'"
If I were a Senator I would vote against Kavanaugh. Justice Douglas was one of my judicial heros. This is not an uneducated view, although it is unconventional. I graduated from Harvard Law in 1975. Professor Tribe was my evidence and constitutional law professor.
Your quoted statement is meritricious. If lying means consciously telling an untruth, neither may have been lying. The reason Kavanaugh may not have been lying is because he was falling down drunk. That is not a condition conducive to retaining the memories shortly before and after the point of maximum inebriation. Given Dr. Ford's testimony it is a likely explanation. So I do not believe you should be criticizing Senator Grassley's statement. I have no more and no less to say about this matter.
23
@James Ricciardi The behaviour described by Dr. Blasey still disqualifies Kavanaugh (among so many other reasons) even if his abuse of alcohol was to the point of not remembering his actions. His testimony was so far removed from what is expected of a person with a judicial temperament interviewing to be promoted to the Supreme Court.
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@James Ricciardi your fallacy is the belief that women are always telling the truth. That's about as sexist as it gets. Ask Hillary (and Bill) about that.
3
@James Ricciardi
If Kavanaugh is not consciously telling the truth because he was too drunk to remember then he is lying when he says he never blacked out due to excessive alcohol consumption. And one hope I have, having been raised a Catholic and having gone to a Catholic grade school and an all boys Catholic high school, is that in the future the mention of god is not brought into any government proceedings.
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