The notion that Judge Kavanaugh was treated unfairly is laughable. The notion that Republicans can use purported "outrage" over that sickeningly rushed, see-no-evil process to overcome the anger and motivation of many educated Americans -- especially women -- who saw through that shameful charade is delusional.
I just hope that the reckoning that is coming for those who would turn back the clock does not involve setting American against American in a new civil war.
4
There will never be freedom of religion in this country as long as the press, the republican collaborators and the dwindling opposition fail to call a spade a spade. Thanjs Bernie, Jill, Elizabeth, Ralph and all the millions who breath a sigh of relief that voting against a qualified woman eased their secret solidarity with the racist hierarchy.
1
I dated a girl once who did a lot of things I thought were cute and funny, until I finally figured out that she was crazy and dangerous.
Trump’s supporters already know that he is a mental case, but haven’t got the faintest clue as to how dangerous he is.
15
Very courageous of the NYT to publish an article about white male anger. For too long their voices have been silenced and they have been marginalized.
3
"...Republicans' outrage over what they see as a Democratic plot to steal a pivotal Supreme Court seat..." Are they kidding? How on Earth can such blatant hypocrisy go unchallenged? Where is the Democrat spine? Pay attention to Mitch McConnell and his henchmen, Dems. See how it's done. Need to dare to be brutal, unfortunately...
2
GOP = always preying on people's anger rather than our better selves. I hope these people wake up and realize those preying on their anger won't make their lives any better, but will make it worse for others.
3
So Republicans are being propelled to the polls by the unfair treatment of another victimized rich guy? Put aside everything for a minute when was the last time you voted to "get even" because you won? The Kavanaugh issue will be off the table for the Republicans in a day or two because Trump will not be able to contain himself. In fact by Monday maybe Trump "will shoot someone on 5th Avenue" with the Republicans arguing that murder is good to the cheering Trump crowds supporting it with the help of the evangelicals. When the Kavanaugh's issues arose I understood Trump hated women but didn't realize that the US Senate did. After watching the Senate's vote on Kavanaugh I began to realize this year's GOP campaign slogan:"How Low Can We Go? Just Watch"
8
The Democratic leadership better not be lulled in to complacency. In 2016 they were expecting a blue wave and lost the Presidency, Senate, House.
In the last couple of Canadian elections populists have beaten incumbent progressives. The pols under estimated the right wing populists by more than 5%. I think a lot of people were self censoring, even in anonymous polls.
It still boogles the mind that a party of the left has lost the working class - to Trump and the Republicans no less!!
4
This really is the ultimate con artist's credulity test. If you believe Kavanaugh never sleep-walked while drunk, you'll believe anything.
6
If you want a taste of filthy, dishonest politics, tune in to a Nashville radio station and listen to Marsha Blackburn's attack ads again Phil Bredesen. You'd swear the woman had spent her entire life rocking homeless babies and administering to the sick, while Bredesen was busy enriching himself by devious means at the expense of ordinary Tennesseans.
When I went to get my car serviced, the TV was blaring Fox at top volume. This time the fury was over poor, picked-on Kavanaugh.
These people love being angry and indignant. Now Trump has given them license to hate out loud, and the poison is spreading. I fear for my gay neighbors, my Democratic friends, and anyone of any shade of brown. It's beyond disturbing, especially as these people pride themselves on their godliness.
9
"G.O.P. Hopes Anger Over Treatment of Kavanaugh Propels Voters to the Polls"
Alternate headline: Dems Anger Over Treatment of Ford Propels Voters to the Polls"
6
Instead of wearing “I Stand With Brett” shirts, Republican voters should just put on their “I Constantly Vote Against My Own Self Interests” t-shirts.
That way they’d never have to take them off.
4
The majority of men in government, and they are savvy about their voters, think it's okay for a boy to sexually assault a girl, and it's okay for this man years later to lie and prevaricate during his nomination hearing. And somehow, questioning this entitled man about this, this has inflamed Republicans and roused them to blistering anger. I do not understand this and feel ashamed of this raw male backlash. I also don't want to interact with many men in my country anymore. I'll stick with people I know, but I'm beginning to get the picture and it's ugly.
9
If the allegations against Kavanaugh were fabricated by the Democrats in an attempt to derail his nomination, where were the same tactics aimed at Gorsuch?
This is pure Republican theater. I give them all due credit for their ability to continually and unconscionably manipulate and deceive their flock.
10
This is a tragedy. The world needs a strong and respected US. Trump has undermined the position of President (can anyone imagine the UN openly laughing at any US President before Trump). Now Kavanaugh. The position of Supreme Court Justice is more important than the man and should be more important than politics. No person with outstanding accusations of sexual assault should be allowed to stand (notwithstanding the personal tragedy that this would represent for Kavanaugh or any other person personally). A different candidate should be found.
I am an English conservative (republican) lawyer but I think that the continued nomination of Kavanaugh is ludicrous. This process is likely to make me much more sceptical of the value of any decision of the US Supreme Court.
I did initially think that the appointment of Trump would blow over. My suspicion now is that historians will mark the decline of the US from Trump’s election. He (and the Republican Party) are squandering US credibility. It won’t be easily regained.
11
Conservative Republicans who are offended by the “attacks” on Judge Kavanaugh are often the ones who claim to place family values, personal accountability and a strong moral compass at their core. But now that the Left has dared to embrace and articulate this same set of principles and to apply it to the Judge, these same conservatives appear outraged, at times even apoplectic. This is not garden variety hypocrisy. They are coopting Rightness itself; laying claim to its gates, it guardianship, and the power to define it any way they choose, at any point in time and for any circumstance. They are saying it’s ultimately not the Value that’s important, it’s who holds the Value. Terrifying.
7
Alexander Harrison would appreciate if if the same benefit of the doubt were given to those who disagree with your line of conduct that you extend to those who agree with your anti Trump agenda. If I spend a half hour writing comments which are informative, well worded, educational to others, and never see those remarks in print, then I begin to suspect that you are not playing fair, that you are suppressing free speech, MY SPEECH!Some of the remarks I read from others are AMAZINGLY BAD, LOATHSOME, but apparently meet your basic requirement of being anti Trump. EB has a preponderance of extreme leftists, it appears, judging others, not on the quality of the writing, on whether it is informative, but whether it conforms to an ideological agenda. I don't care whether the EB is top heavy with Trotskyists, so long as those radicals understand FAIR PLAY, and judge Alexander Harrison by the same standards that they evaluate anyone else who submits remarks to the Comments column.Otherwise, Messieurs Bennet, Staples, Rosenthal, Ms. GAY inter alios, what's the POINT?
1
“What the Kavanaugh controversy has done is increase Republican voting intensity so that it is approaching Democratic intensity, which is already through the roof,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster.
As registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, and this Republican pollster admits Republicans are only approaching Democrats in voting intensity, I look forward to a Democrat controlled House next year.
2
Yes, what about Garland? What about Obama? Who plays by the rules? With Republican greed and antics, it is tempting to play hardball.
2
The Jesuits no longer stand with Brett. The Church has learned the hard way not to ignore uncorroborated accusations of sexual assault that happened over thirty years ago.
4
VOTE
The country and your life will depend on it.
3
If you don't pay the gas bill, they take away your gas.
If you don't pay the car payment, they take away your car.
If you don't vote, they take away your freedom.
13
The people who couldn't bear the reality of a Black man in the White House are whipping up anger over a White man who blew his top in a job interview. Projection at its finest. It gets them off the hook when they are ensconced by their like-minded, soulless, loyalists.
10
This disgusted democrat is voting a straight Republican ticket this November for sure! What the Democrats tried to do to Kavanaugh is low down disgusting and despicable in its nastiness.
May vote for Trump in 2020 if the Democrats run Olde fossils again like Biden or Kerry, or, if they dare, Hillary Again! Ugh...
3
@Moe Def Did you forget about what the Republicans did to Obama? The democrats were asking real questions. They didn't "do" anything to Kavanaugh. Legitimate concerns were raised. If you prefer democracy, democratic institutions and norms, you shouldn't be voting Republican.
(But I somehow doubt your veracity.)
4
We will obviously never know the whole truth of the Ford allegations and to some extent that truth has become irrelevant. Now the crux of the GOP argument is how egregious the Democrats have handled the presentation of these allegations by waiting to release them at the confirmation hearings when they knew of them some weeks prior. Further, how the Democrats have ill used Dr. Ford. How much or little the foregoing stand, the fact of the matter is that serious allegations have been leveled. Reverse discrimination worked in 1991 to confirm a sexual harrasser to the most powerful court in the land. Mr. Kavanaugh has proven, whether sexual assaulter or not, that he does not have the temperament for this position, but neither does Trump for his, so let's just continue the "us against them," and see how that works out.
1
I hope that the Republicans will be more than a little surprised at results of next month's election. Children in cages isn't a good look for them. The obsession with tax cuts for the wealthy isn't much of a boon for them either. Republican's have lost any support from swing vote women with their disgraceful behavior last week, and I doubt that the indifference they've shown to the 18-28 year old's regarding school shootings, and opportunities to achieve the american dream will help them, if the kids actually buck the usual trend and come out in force to vote.
Each side expects to trounce the other. I think the Republicans will lose big time. But then, people tend to vote with their wallets, so maybe nothing at all will change. This is one time when that would be a real shame, given Trump's penchant to play the great dictator.
3
Republicans can whine and weep and gnash their teeth over Kavanaugh's treatment all they want. It doesn't wash. They're the ones who took off the gloves in 2016 with their shameful treatment of Merrick Garland. They're the one's who made it clear that no Democratic President would ever again get to appoint a Supreme Court justice so long as they control the Senate. What's Kavanaugh got to complain about? At least he got a hearing.
And yeah -- it is partisan. Because the Republicans insist on using tactics which somehow morph into something "shameful and unacceptable" when used by their opponents. And seeing on how they're currently insisting on doubling down on these tactics, it's time for us to take off the gloves as well. We could start by increasing the court's size to 11 justices once they return to power in 2020, so as to negate the Trump appointments. Nothing in the Constitution says that it should be limited to nine.
4
The Republicans have one issue that is getting them temporarily riled up. The Democrats have a hundred or so galvanizing conflicts with the president that won't go away after the vote tomorrow. So, if the election gets decided by intensity, the Dems will win hands down. Kavanaugh is a blip on the charts; Trump is off the charts.
2
It’s embarrassing how through the years the democrats in the Senate have treated republican SCOTUS nominees once in the hearings: Bork, Clarence Thomas, Kavanaugh. Name me one democratic nominee that was treated with such contempt and mudslinging by the opposing republicans. Don’t complain that the GOP only nominates conservatives (Ginsburg is as far left as they get and she got 98 votes) and don’t complain about MGarland-Biden opened that door first.
Really, embarrassing how contemptible the left has shown themselves. All anger and mob rule.
4
I actually think the Democrats can capitalize on this situation by presenting a better process for selecting supreme court justices, including term limits.
The majority know that this was a crazy process and the supreme court has become a politicised institution. So perhaps the majority would be interested in a better selection *process* including term limits so that the turnover is more predictable.
Rather than just responding negatively to the old white men, Democrats should present a better alternative that most people would be in favour of.
1
The plain truth is that Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Instead of conducting meaningful hearings and an extensive FBI investigation on Ford and Kavanaugh's other female accusers, Republicans have stacked the process in favor of Kavanaugh. This was accomplished with a one day hearing between Ford and Kavanaugh and no other witness. This was followed by a bogus one week FBI investigation where the FBI did not contact many potential witnesses, some of them practically begging to be interviewed. The FBI did not investigate Kavanaugh's prior drinking habits, which goes to Kavanaugh's credibility at his latest hearing.
On top of this, the Republicans have withheld an enormous number of documents and emails from Democrats, which prevented Kavanaugh from being fully vetted. For Republicans to automatically dismiss a woman's allegation of sexual assault by a privileged White male, deny the alleged victim a meaningful investigation, and make the man out to be the victim is the height of hypocrisy.
White women need to be reminded that a majority of them voted for Trump. Kavanaugh clearly does not have the temperament to be on the Supreme Court. What this is really about is Republicans rubbing this in the Democratic Party's face with a partisan warrior. Kavanaugh will vote to repeal women's reproductive rights, destroy health care, pull back on civil rights, voting rights, and the social safety net, and protect Trump. Will White women still vote Republican?
5
Shameless. These Republicans are utterly and completely shameless.
2
In this there is the epitome of greed and delusion. If anything, it will work against them for a very long time, long past this years mid terms and the Presidential elecection a couple of years from them. They wrote the "play book" that will sink the over and over for the years to come. It will not be long before we see revisions in representation and the removal of the discrimination that occurs from over representation in the mid west and beyond. They do not have the population to justify two Senators in their state.
1
I don't believe they care what happens in November. The men who rule the party and their wealthy donors have gotten the big tax breaks that benefit them. Don't bother them with concerns that the annual deficit approaches $1T again, to be handed off to future generations, nor the instability of the ever-widening wealth & income gap. They've rolled back environmental controls with no regard for next generations because some businesses can make an extra buck in the short-term. If they get Kavanaugh confirmed, they'll have their ultra conservative court, with no concern for his clear record of lying and partisanship that should disqualify anyone for SCOTUS. Never mind that many in their own party think reproductive health and choice are a high priority. Why should they care if SCOTUS lets trump get away with corruption since it has benefited them so greatly? They don't need trump anymore either, so no real concern for 2020. If Democrats win a majority, they face having to deliver the news (again) to all Americans that we have to face the music on our country's debt, economic inequality, crumbling infrastructure, consequences of trump tariffs, under-funded schools, health care costs, etc. The GOP has proven they want nothing to do with that difficult work, despite the fact that some ordinary people who identify as Republican share the grave concerns of Democrats over these issues.
4
I hope that supporters and opponents of Judge Kavanaugh are outraged over the entire process and get out to vote. Perhaps then more than 1/3 of the population will have their voices heard this time. Even if the Congresscritters and state representatives actually want to do the will of the people, when 2/3 do not express that will how could they do so?
We are past the time, if it ever existed, when the majority could just sit back and let the fanatics, politically active, and the alleged elite decide what needs to be done. I mean, look how well that has worked out lately? All the people, no matter their age, gender, or political affiliation, need to get out, vote, and let their voices be heard.
1
The "threat" posed by a (hopefully) Democratic Congress is actually democracy at work. The real threat would come from Republican control of all three branches of the government. Absent a check from the Supremes, laws would become what Republicans want them to be.
2
We are appointing a judge for life.
His partisan blowups, his record, his anger issues, his past, his drinking, his mystery gambling debt disappearance all disqualify him. Republican appointed Supreme Court Justice Stevens even took back his endorsement as have churches, law professors and many others. This is too big to ignore all of these people, both Republican and Democratic who see this candidate as unqualified for the highest position in the land, our ONLY lifetime appointment.
2
Personally, I think all voters should be fired up over this one, whether one is for or against Kavanaugh. The process of vetting a supreme court nominee should be transparent, and non-partisan. This is such a blatant theft of that process that I personally would vote to fire the lot of them, both sides of the aisle, with people whose first job would be to institute term limits for the House and the Senate, then would pass legislation to overturn Citizens United, prohibit gerrymandering, legislate making our government transparent. That would be a start.
The present government is not the one that most of us want.
2
If there was ever a time for sitting Justices to speak with one voice, it would be now. Right now. Take the initiative, and issue a statement reminding the country that the Supreme Court must be - and must clearly appear to be - an apolitical institution where partisanship has no place. Maybe the Senate will listen to the Court and hear concern for the Court's legitimacy, and take a step back from tossing it aside in disrespect. Maybe. Because the Senate clearly won't hear any pleas from We the People for an impartial Justice.
1
JUSTICE KAVANAUGH OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT has a great and terrific sound!
It’s a fantastic day for America!
3
The fact that Kavanaugh lied about his own life, under oath, is being overlooked. And that testimony is evidence.
14
@Joe Yoh no one is looking for a saint, but rather, to hire the someone that meets the highest standards of the SC, highest standards of any position the USA,the honor to serve a lifetime on the country's highest court. Employers screen for the qualities a job demands, in this case, beyond qualifications, impartiality, integrity, honesty and Judicial Temperament. All Judges ( as with FBI employees ) are entitled to their personal politics, but not a seat. They are not duly elected by the people, where shortcomings may be dismissed. The unquestionable ability to rise above partisan politics is also essential. If not, Justices could need to recuse where applicable, thus their value diminished. Both the SC appointee's integrity and due diligence during the process must be above reproach for every citizen's right to maintain their faith and trust in it. Every nominee is extremely well qualified. they would all be seated if qualifications enough.
11
As a sexual abuse survivor I confess I have been biased in favor of Dr. Ford and Debbie Ramirez throughout this process -- so triggered and outraged I am exhausted and depleted.
Still...and in spite of all that when I pull back I feel an underlying despair that we are fighting another cultural battle while the world is burning. If we were a sane country a man who votes 90% of the time against the environment and for corporate polluters would never even be considered for the Supreme Court. The front page of the New York Times would be covered with stories of Anthropogenic Climate Change and all the science showing an accelerating climate disaster in the making. The clear link to increasing CO2 and the intensity of storms and wildfires and consequences of rising sea levels would be a daily drum beat. At least half of the coverage would be about what immediate steps can be taken to transition to sustainable energy before there is no hope of a habitable planet.
Instead Republicans are out to control women's bodies and sexuality and make sure their greed can have few constraints. They nominated a political operative to the Court and here we are. In my view the right is insane and I only wish God could save us.
51
@Kate
Hear, hear! The environment and overpopulation. By several orders of magnitude the world's problems boil down to these crises. Everything else should be much lower priority.
1
@Kate Half of all Republicans are women. President Trump's campaign manager was the first woman in that role to oversee a winning campaign. Justice Kavanaugh has appointed more female law clerks than anyone. Without fail, all of the women in my family knows (not thinks) that President Trump is doing a great job. This thought that all women are pro-Democrat isn't even close to being true.
1
Why is opposition to Kavanaugh considered a "liberal" thing?
24
Seven NY Times PICKS.
3 are clearly pro Kavanaugh.
Two are clearly anti Kavanaugh.
One says Democrats should just give up on this, so they can win later, which is defeatism.
The other is a Democrat saying Democrats shouldn't have fought this nomination at all. More defeatism.
Meanwhile, numerous comments with the best evidence that even Republicans should vote against this nominee are not picked.
Stop manipulating the comment section with your picks (which are the first thing seen when the comments are opened .)
7
@McGloin Exactly what "evidence" was there against Justice Kavanaugh? Hearsay does not count.
1
I don't see how this helps the Republican brand. They have positioned themselves as the party of white males and the few women they do have in the party are complaciente. The only people the GOP will fight for are the rich and powerful. Trump owns the entire party and will destroy any Republican that goes against him.
These short term approaches to governing will have long term consequences. It will begin in November if Democrats can retake the House. From that point on it will become an uphill climb for the GOP. Despite the solid Trump support with the base, they cannot win with that group alone. It is well to remember that Trump barely won and there is no empirical evidence that he has grown his base. If anything he has declined since that time.
I say, let's test the proposition that with the base alone the GOP can continue to win. The November elections will be that test. If they win back the House in November then their strategy will be confirmed, but my bet is that they will lose and that makes for a whole new ballgame.
7
@Ferniez I hope you are right. But it all depends on people getting out to vote. That's a weakness for Dems.
1
democratic party is rudderless.
6
Kavanaugh followed Ford’s meek and thoughtful testimony with a partisan attack. His contemptuous evasions and counter-assaults during the questioning practically begged the GOP base to go full throttle with its Bros Vs Hos assault. Now, with a stolen Supreme Court seat under its robe, the GOP can carry on with the Federalist and Libertarian plan to end all social programs, privatize all schools, force what public schools that do remain to teach creationism, and, finally, end all regulation of business so that banks (and Trumps) can steal from the treasury and developers can steal the earth from future generations. The GOP has never been so proud.
18
Count on the Republican party to tell the Big Lie. They already control the Congress and the presidency, and now they want to make it a hat trick by controlling the judiciary. We seem to be headed for a one party system, and it isn't the Democratic party.
7
After Kavanaugh is confirmed, the republicans are going to have to work real hard to convince their white male base that anger over how Kavanaugh was treated is an emotion they want to continue expressing in their individual households with their female relatives looking on. Mothers, wives, daughters and sisters are all watching and taking note of who is with us and who is against us.
There will be divorces over this.
11
@Daisy My wife, daughter, both sisters, sister-in-law and mother-in-law are against you. They think president Trump is doing a great job and that Justice Kavanaugh is a great pick for the Supreme court. Your thought that all women think like you is wildly incorrect.
2
Does the democratic party have leadership? Do we have a Senate Minority Leader? Does he get paid for being Senate Minority Leader? Is this one of the many government positions that has gone unfilled during the Trump administration?
4
@Christopher
Alas, what Will Rogers quipped more than eight decades ago remains true today:
"I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat."
("Ambassador of Good Will, Prince of Wit and Wisdom," 1935)
That wasn't toilet paper on Trump's shoe as he boarded Air Force One... it was the FBI report on Kavanaugh.
11
@sg
Same thing - with Trump it just as well could have been a copy of the Constitution.
1
The GOP is delusional! It's going to have the OPPOSITE effect. I hope women by the millions vote these idiot GOP candidates out of office in both houses!
27
Classic Democrats. Fail to use Merrick Garland as an issue in the presidential election. Screw up preventing Kavahaugh's appointment (the GOP could do this with their eyes closed). Declare failure before the final vote.
I stay because the Democrats play by the rules. This is their most significant flaw.
23
@Mhevey They failed to use Garland as an issue in the election because notwithstanding all the whining about his mistreatment and "his seat" these last two weeks, President Clinton had no more intention of renominating him than Trump,
1
I am a conservative Republican woman living in Manhattan where the majority of the voters are liberal Democrats, I have decided to cast my vote for the Republican candidates who are running for office. I would not have bothered before these senate judiciary committee hearings, but after the shoddy way the Democrats treated Judge Kavanaugh, I decided to do so. In this largely ultra liberal city, it will not make much of a difference other than to show support for the Republicans.
I hope that every single Republican American citizen does the same. We must show solidarity not only with Republicans but also with Brett Kavanaugh no matter the outcome of the confirmation process. He is very likely to be confirmed and I hope the Republicans do the right thing and vote yes. He is an honorable man of high moral character. There is no one finer and he will make an excellent Supreme Court justice if only given the chance. He deserves to sit on the bench.
16
Oh stop. You are not a woman.
2
@WPLMMT
The Democrats treated Mr. Kavanaugh with respect; he, on the other hand, treated the members of the Judiciary Committee with contempt and insults.
No, Ma'am, Mr. Kavanaugh is NOT honorable, has low-moral character as evidenced by his comments and threats, does not make a a good candidate for justice and certainly does not deserve to sit on the bench.
And even if every single republican American votes for republicans there is no guarantee republicans will remain in power considering their minority-American-citizen status.
1
Merrick Garland is also “an honorable man of high moral character.” I suppose Republicans leaders can pat themselves on the back for the way they treated him.
3
I believe Dr Ford but am unclear as to why she didn’t file criminal charges against Kavanaugh prior to testimony. He would have been accused legally as there is no statute of limitations involved.
3
Did these dear boys ever tell their parents what they were doing? Did they go to confession and confess their sins? Did their priests counsel them in any way? After all, this was supposed to be a good Catholic school. Is all this still going on at the school with the blessing of the school?
5
@Mimi No, you MOST certainly do not believe her. Did you listen to here testimony? What 15 year old who is shamed. embarrassed and traumatized would do so?
Your equivocation is part of the problem.
7
@W Mimi's point that crimnal charges could be filed NOW, since there is no statute of limitations.
The problem is that it's likely a prosecutor will pick up the case, since there's no evidence. Even in the 80s, it would've been the same: a police officer may have talked with Kavanaugh but due to how well connected that family is, it would've been let go.
I think this is why you don't see too much support from their parents, etc. They may be Republicans and/or they may be afraid to rock the neighborhood. This is the problem: parents should support their children.
It’s almost like the entire game of politics is understanding how to effectively sow division amongst a group of individuals.
Who ever would have imagined that this was the case? Other than every woman, and every ‘other’ person, of course.
11
@ubique
No, that's just a particular brand of regressive GOP politics.
Now, where's the Tea Party in all of this? Did they shut up and go home once Obama left office?
Reading through a good amount of the comments posted doesn't fill me with hope for the future; it seems that both sides have plenty of invective to share with the glass still mostly full.
What troubles me most though is the disregard for women, their rights, their protection and the lack of equality and respect given to them by such a wide cross section of politicians and citizens.
I once thought we had the capacity as individuals to grow from our experiences and become better humans but that appears to be on the endangered skills list for our species.
19
@worker33
Guess what? 54% of white women voters voted for a self-confessed sexual assaulter whom has no respect for women.
1
The Republicans better try to milk this for the anger they can get and try to present it as if it is a sizeable number of people for p.r. purposes. My belief is that it won't come close to the anger on the other side.
14
So, the non-oligarchic arm of the Republican base is more concerned about how Kavanaugh is being treated than they are about how Kavanaugh's rulings will affect their primitive societal and belief systems. Since confirmation is fairly certain, as long as they are made to suffer as badly as the rest of us as a result I'm OK with that.
11
So Bart Kavanaugh lies again today in his editorial today in the WSJ.
He claims his behavior was reflective in heat of the moment exchanges with Democrat Senators.
Which is complete and utter nonsense and more accurately a LIE.
It is clear that Bart Kavanaugh wrote his opening statement where he revealed what a partisan hack he is. It was a calculated and orchestrated statement that he had more than enough time to draft.
He is temperamentally unfit to serve on the Supreme Court and a pathological liar just like the mental midget that nominated him.
26
Perhaps Trump gave him lessons in lying as well as attacks on women.
5
Kavanaugh will be the face of the Republican Party for the next 30 years. He might finally be the last straw for white women. And if the GOP loses white women, they will be politically destroyed.
16
And women will abandon the Catholic church in droves!!!
2
@Derek Flint,
no, it will not be a final straw. just read WPLMMT's (new york) comment above.
1
The Church is not taking the pro-Kavanaugh side. Humility is a Catholic virtue and wrath is a sin. Pride goeth before destruction. Kavanaugh failed that test with his lack of humility and his prideful wrath.
I am a Canadian , I do not like or trust Trump or his party but I support Kavanaugh and Trump for finally confirming what I have said for the last fifteen years.
This is a referendum on whether there is a United States of America and as a Quebecer I know about such referendums. Trump makes no pretense of being the President of all Americans , he represents only his base as does the political party he controls.
My wife and most of my family being Americans I understand the love and fealty to a country that no longer exists.
President Obama saw his signature piece of legislation and his Supreme Court nominee destroyed because he tried to be President of all America. His healthcare plan was the Republican healthcare plan and his Supreme Court nominee was so centrist he was close to 100% approval.
Donald Trump governs for his base and only his base. Trump knows his ceiling is 40% and Trump knows that even before the allegations of attempted rape Kavanaugh's ceiling was the same 40%.
I live in a liberal democracy where we have no such divide and the government tries to please as many people as possible. We had an election on Monday and on Tuesday the election was forgotten even as the liberal government of 15 years was replaced by a center right government. We are not ideological we are pragmatic and we are just as likely to vote democratic socialist as we are are conservative if we feel that is the correct direction.
America is broken beyond repair it is time to move on.
12
As much as it hurts to hear this, I unfortunately must agree. Trumps election is the culmination of 4 decades of propaganda, policy and lies which has funneled, taxpayer money and power to the very, very rich. America must VOTE democrat this November, straight ticket, if they wish to reclaim and rebuild the democracy that our Constitutional framers intended. The power grab is almost complete and this is our last chance to fight it.
VOTE DEMOCRAT IN NOVEMBER IF YOU VALUE DEMOCRACY
2
@Memphrie et Moi Obama didn't try to be president of all Americans. He told Congress to change the rules to get ObamaCare passed. That, of course, ticked off Republicans. Obama made his own mess which is why his legacy is gone. He may as well l have not been president at all. Republicans provided input to ObamaCare because they had no choice not because they wanted it.
1
@Richard
I watch American politics not only because most of my family are American but because I lived much of my life in both Red and Blue America and really like the country and its people.
When I lived in Chicago Obama was my State Senator and he was a neighbour.Obama is far to my right politically and instead of a really democratic and effective Healthcare plan he went with Romneycare which he thought might get Republicans on board.
There is no need for a middle man like insurance companies in healthcare. Insurance companies have no real contributions to offer in basic healthcare, I know both systems very well and I have received excellent healthcare in both Canada and the US.
Republicans decided to destroy Obamacare before it was even a plan. Romneycare is a lot better than what most Americans had but it a far cry from a plan that would insure all Americans against the financial catastrophe from the crime of getting ill.
I am a moderate, but the antics of the Left and the Democratic party have really turned me off. Talk about stoking fear and anger! Who attacks public officials when they are on their own time? Who calls for attacks (Maxine, I talking to you) The preachy and condescending tone the Left repels me. Don't tell me what to do or what to think. And PLEASE remember people are allowed to have and express opinions and thoughts that you might not want to hear.
16
@steph: How do you feel about the antics whereby the GOP denied Garland even a hearing for absolutely no reason?
17
@steph Your points are valid. However, as bad as the Dems can be, the GOP is 1000x worse. They are a twisted bunch of sick ghouls and I despise them, with the exception of that Vern dude in Florida.
3
@steph you are completely right. Both sides have their fringe but the Dems came out swinging this week. I am a liberal but they do not speak for me as a woman or a person with liberal and democratic values because the tent does not allow for anyone to actually look at this through a logical lens without feeling wronged and screaming that democracy is dying. The melodrama of the past few weeks is unbelievable and will rally the republicans to vote only making this situation worse.
3
"The politics of anger, destruction and chaos." Wow -- Trump looked in the mirror.
16
Many of those "protestors" are probably paid operatives of the Republican party or possibly even Russian backed stooges. Such is the nonsense in politics today that is taken as serious news that virtually everything can be a smokescreen paid for with dirty money and nothing can be accepted at face value. Mad as it is reported that Republicans are alleged to be about the Democratic "smearing" of Kavanaugh, we can in no way be sure how many of these angry Republicans are real protestors, how many are sincere, how many have simply been brainwashed by Fox News, and how many are something other than what they claim to be - people whose political viewpoints deserve to be listened to. A lot of it is almost certainly garbage.
8
@Billy Ross But it's true though. Their English has gotten better, but before Trump was elected, you could see mistakes being made, from the English used to sometimes the location stating "Moscow". They do the same on foxnews.com too, but there they pretend to be liberal. They are exacerbating the divisions and of course people are falling for it.
@Samantha In every public protest, it is easy to plant a bad actor who says or does something violent or offensive to draw the attention of news media, the result being the whole group is tarred with the same brush. We must always consider that possibility.
@Samantha. Republican operatives paying people to pretend to be Democrat protesters would not surprise me in the least. It sounds much like a scheme Trump's dad used many years ago. ( I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I spent 14 years in NY many years ago and remember a few things that happened back then.)
To put it mildly, The GOP sold their souls the moment they knew their way of life had no future in this country. Regrettably, they'd rather scuttle the ship the bottom of the sea than share the wheel, and the more of their scared geriatric base expire, the more dangerous those who remain will be.
17
Who are they trying to con here? Looks like th answer's the American public, and it'll last for years to come if he gets confirmed.
He’s not qualified, either on paper (his views on executive power would confer dictatoresque power to a President....consider what we now have here before blowing that argument off) or in manner (lreply last Thursday's tantrum if in any doubts.
In no way is this guy any variety of victim, anyone selling that is virtually complicit in every sexual assault for this era. Let’s keep perspective here. This one has no business on the court.
10
In reflection of what happened in Europe and Germany in the first half of the last century a very powerful and dangerous ‘victim-perpetrator-rescuer’ triangle was described.
It is now being absurdly exploited by Trump and the GOP.
Trump tells us he is the victim of his 29 survivors who perpetrate accusations against him.
The GOP has convinced their base that they and all men are victims.
So step back, never believe or feel that you are stuck in only one of those roles which can shift quickly with any anger or secondary emotion. Take the long view and work toward the way you want life to be for yourself and the world.
DT maintains powers by claiming the US is a victim of other countries, that he is the rescuer and especially by stoking the anger of his base by telling them they are victims.
Purpose to move forward in democracy by aspiring to stay out of the violently dangerous roles of victim- rescuer-perpetrator and pursue safety, opportunity, and freedom for all.
13
We see not nominating a saint but a judge. The accusations from his childhood are irrelevant. He is extremely well qualified with a strong record of upholding law. Let’s all check our biases and move on.
18
@Joe Yoh
It is not about the amorality Kavanaugh shows himself to be, but his views on very important to women issues, Roe v Wade, women's right to their own bodies, and right-wing conservative views on liberal Americans, using right-ing political reasons to make judgments about people's judicial cases.
1
@Joe Yoh Nope. It's not that simple. He's way too partisan and doesn't even bother to hide it. Do you really believe the opposition is revenge of the Clintons?
3
@Joe Yoh
We are watching a President with a sketchy financial background attempt to put a loyalist on the SC, just in case Mueller is allowed to finish his methodical, complete investigation. We are watching that President attempt to escape any consequences for his long history of abusing whatever power he has had. We are watching a President now in competition for "worst President ever" wield power he should never have had.
4
Expecting a Judge to be fair and impartial and not emotional and spouting conspiracy theories is wrong? It's a JUDGESHIP position. Any normal court would not allow such a person in that position. This isn't even a Republican/Democrat thing. This person, based on his actions, showed that he is unable to perform his Judge duties. Nominate someone else who has a better and fairer head on their shoulders.
11
The real result of all this is a deepening of the issues that divide America. Trump knew this when he picked Kavanaugh. We are caught in a downward spiral and no one notices.
8
The person who needs to be the focus of all this is Trump. Before Kavanaugh, it was accurate to say that the Republican congress was more inert and passive than active in response to Trump's outrages, moral and political. Now the Republican congressional leadership, and just as importantly, the new right-wing majority vote on SCOTUS, have wrapped Trump up, in all his personal and political horribleness, in a hammerlock embrace. Trump is now positively the moral ideal of the Republican Party; Trumpism is its moral and political code.
The serial abuser, the serial liar about the abuse he's committed, the serial mocker of relatively powerless women, including women he's abused--defending Trump, and now any other powerful Republican man, or white man at least, from any public accusation of assault or abuse, will now and henceforth be an unquestionable requirement for belong to the Trump movement and the Republican party. As Adam Serwer put it in the Atlantic the other day, "Once malice has become a virtue, it is impossible to contain."
They have chosen to live or die on the hill of unrestrained malice towards anyone who disagrees with them, and especially and specifically malice towards women. It's up to the rest of us on November 6 to make the Republican party die there.
13
We already had Clarence Thomas on the court and now Kavanaugh is about to join him there. The Supreme Court will be tainted for the next 30 years. The Republicans pull these shenanigans time after time and keep getting elected. The only conclusion that I am able to reach is that there are a lot of unread boneheads among American voters.
12
@Clark Landrum
His liver won't last 30 years. Unfortunately he can do a lot of damage in less than 30 years.
3
@Clark Landrum By "tainted" you mean that the Left will have more trouble bypassing those pesky voters who don't see things their way and getting the Supreme Court to continue unearthing new "rights" in the Constitution.
1
I remember well how the Republicans won a Senate seat for Minnesota after the death of Paul Wellstone in 2002. There had been a rush of emotion and a likely welling of support for his replacement candidate, former Vice President Walter Mondale. After the public memorial for the late Sen. Wellstone, the Republicans spent a couple of weeks spreading vicious lies about it to rile up their base (I attended the memorial and can attest to the Republican stories being outright lies). The day of the election, I saw many TV interviews with Republican voters who said that they had planned to stay home and not vote that day, were it not for what they were told (mostly by conservative talk radio--some local political hacks, and national Republican shills like Rush Limbaugh) about the memorial for Sen. Wellstone. It was clearly a coordinated effort. As a result, the Republican candidate won, due to increased Republican voter turnout (that candidate was Norm Coleman, who later bragged that things were "99% better" for Minnesotans with him in the Senate than they had been with Sen. Wellstone). The Republican lie factory and echo chamber are unfortunately effective tools; they know very well how to win in this underhanded and unethical manner. The Democrats need to be aware of this.
16
When a Democratic male office holder has been credibly accused of sexual misconduct, he has been driven from office. By Democrats. When a Republican office holder is credibly accused of sexual misconduct (or for that matter is recorded admitting it) the GOP base rallies around their man.
I would like to be able to say that the repetition of this pattern of behavior by the GOP has driven this former Republican to the point where I will never again support any Republican candidate on any level, but sadly I had reached that point years ago. The obstructionism against Obama, the Merrick Garland non-vote, the voter suppression, the gerrymandering and the shameless pandering to the Republican donor class got me there long ago.
Trump is reprehensible, and Kavanaugh is unqualified on the basis of temperament even before we get to the credible accusation of sexual misconduct. But Republicans will do anything to get control of the Supreme Court so they can impose their religious right agenda on the rest of us, even as they disregard its moral tenets.
None of this is really new behavior. It's the same old GOP. Only the details of the latest outrage are new. Hence, the Kavanaugh affair can't possibly make me any angrier. I've been there, maxed out, for quite a while. And I will never vote for any Republican ever again.
26
If only we could just break up the country and become two separate nations, things would be so much better. One democrat nation to the north and one Republican one to the south. Masses would have to move to fit their ideologies into these two new nations. At least, the people would be governed the way they want to be and be masters of their own destinies.
9
I find it hard to believe that anyone who is not on the right is not completely outraged by this whole process. The GOP in Congress has acted tyranically in this. They are now talking about ending ANY filibuster of any kind after making a SCOTUS nominee confirmation into a bare majority fully partisan process. They have given the minority no means to give input or even show the slightest interest in what the majority of Americans that rigged minority represents think. We have government by extremists who really just don’t care what the rest of us think, only what their power can get them and they plan to grab that power for generations through the courts, egged on by a vicious uncompromising minority of voters. The only word for that is tyranny. When civil war breaks out, the GOP will blame everyone else, but those responsible, themselves. The only way the rest of us can stop either civil war or tyrannical minority rule is to get and vote like our country depends on it, because it does.
16
FIRST VOTE! You’ll have a majority on the Judicial Committee.
SECOND, ensure that a proper investigation of Kavanaugh happens. If he has perjured himself or there is further evidence to support Ms Ford’s claim impeach him. This has happened before in your history.
THIRD, Begin impeachment proceedings against Captain Bone Spurs on several issues, most recently defrauding the government of hundreds of millions in taxes.
LASTLY, ensure that his sister a Federal Court of Appeal judge is also investigated. She may have known or participated in the fraud. As a direct beneficiary it stretches credulity that she didn’t. If she knew or was involved she needs to be removed from the Federal Court.
Remember, the Republicans spent years going after the Clintons for a land deal in Arkansa that lost money. There was never any evidence of their involvement. Here you have a voluminous amount of evidence including a judge’s income tax disclosure showing a million dollar transfer from a company that she owns with her siblings which was set up to funnel money to them.
Get to work.
11
This whole thing is bad for Dems.
They are going into the Midterms with fervor. The base is riled, they have every indication Republicans don't view these elections nearly as important as Democrats do.
Then, like always, Democrats pull an 11th hour #MeToo with evidence which was Feinstein held onto.
Now, as polls have indicated, Republicans are now more engaged and believe there is more to lose, and will show up. Fundraising for Republicans has gone up considerably, too.
So, putting Dr. Ford on the front of every paper might've rallied an already engaged Democratic base, now Republicans have a reason to show up to the polls.
It's like Hillary all over again. Republicans just need a figure head and a reason to get angry, and they're out the front door on election day.
Another great job by the Democrats, shooting themselves in the foot again.
5
@Scott
It doesn't take much to set Trumps base squealing with their legs crossed and their hands over their parts. They are willfully blind to the fact that it is Trump who makes false sexual assault allegations against innocent men, the Central Park 5 who spent 6-13 years of their lives in prison in spite of the fact that DNA evidence exonerated the,
The sad thing is, Kavanaugh's nomination has more to do with his views on the president being above the law
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/07/11/does-bret...
than Roe v. Wade, sexual assault or false accusations. There are other conservative potential judges without Kavanaugh's baggage. We're being played.
7
Yesterday I was driving and searching the car's radio and came upon a voice that sounded distinctly like a right-wing talk show host (there is definitely a sound to these shows). this is what the man said, at the point from when I started listening:
"In the daytime they put on their nice faces. But at night they put on masks and go around shooting people. that's what the left wing leftists of our country are doing. I don't know anyone who is going to just stand there and let themselves get shot at. We need to be ready....."
At that point I turned the radio off ready to cry.
What has happened? how can a fellow citizen both have such hatred, and try to rile up other americans with his invective, and lie that people who think like I do night even put on a mask and go on a shooting spree?? What is this, but a call to arms and to violence? Who dares to call himself an American and speak these words on our airwaves?
This is the fire of hatred the republicans have stoked. BK tended this fire very closely at many points in his life, but even so, there is no left-wing person I know of (and that's many many people) would lie about people, with whose opinions we disagree, and say they are murderers.
This has to stop before actual blood is shed.
22
Yes, I remember the similar Democratic campaign against Neil Gorsuch, employing every form of slander and base rumor-mongering--Oh wait, there wasn't one. They decried his views, but forgot the bits about being a sexual assailant and blackout drunk, probably because he wasn't.
(A minor point: that "Mississippi" rally was actually in a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee just south of the state line. Discredit where discredit is due.)
9
As usual Republicans fire up their base(less) with lies and they know they are lies. Dr. Ford discussed this with friends and family and someone talked to others. The local press got wind of it and the national press followed. At that point Dr. Ford stepped forward on her own. Dr. Ford already testified to as much. Republicans, being Republicans, led by the rabid, soon to be Attorney General, Lindsey Graham, immediately started the lie and as usual Republicans repeated ad nauseum.
9
This is no Democratic plot! On the contrary, it is a Republican plot, to make white men the victim, to ignore genuine stories of abuse by women, and to rub our faces in it. I am quite concerned about riots in the street if this type of unfair and inflammatory behavior continues.
11
Overseas, what is most visible, is the sense of tribal entitlement for a sad, white male from Yale who feels this seat is demonstrably his. This resonates with the tribal pack who fiercely defend what the Judge stands for, when his cv was unpacked and then what he had to go through. Whatever rites of passage he went through as an adolescent make way for the greater career rites of passage at the top of the legal profession as an adult. This was spiced with red meat toss-outs to the base, like revenge on behalf of the Clintons. But the way the senators acted is beyond comprehension. Not one asked if he was truly friendly with Mark Judge; how often they hung out; if he knew Prof Ford etc. I have never seen such a Kangaroo Court in all my life. This is something belonging to a third-rate African junta, grappling with corruption and power vacuums. The hearing was improperly conducted because most GOP senators refused to exercise their duty to question. Instead we had grandstanding. It was tribal allegiance on trial, whether Americans have the right to question career entitlement and privilege. Sen Grassley I'm afraid led a corrupt team, devoid of due diligence. Their complete curtain of silence then made the Dems look as though they had agendas or witch-hunts. The GOP is right to propel angry voters to the polls, because with 50% women eligible to vote and many women now standing, I cannot believe that turkeys vote for Thanksgiving.
16
Anger over Trump and Republicans in general has never been more intense. They are trying to turn the tables here, but what do they have to be angry about? They have gotten everything they've wanted with total control of all branches of government. They whine about Kavanaugh being treated unfairly when he is a seriously flawed nominee and they wouldn't even consider Merrick Garland, who should already be on the bench since he was picked fair and square by Obama. Republicans want to continue their privileged elitist reign, but they won't succeed as long as Democrats VOTE, CANVASS, PHONEBANK.
22
The GOP are fooling themselves if they think this tactic is going to have that much play. The anger that women saw were in the faces they've come to know too well in others: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/829295718860540423/
8
So let's see: over 2000 law professors and a retired Supreme Court judge say he shouldn't be on the court, but it's the Democrats they're angry at? Is this some kind of joke? So they get him through on a razor thin margin, and then somehow all these furious Republican voters come out of the woodwork to vote? Why? Trump's not on the ballot, and he's the ONLY reason they showed up in 2016.
24
jmsent--You KNOW most of them are allergic to facts and critical thinking. Those that aren't will vote Democratic, and maybe even leave the party, as so many prominent others have.
4
The disgraceful grandstanding behavior of Senate Democrats led to their failure to defeat Kavanaugh and the energizing of the Republican base. What were Democrats thinking ?
9
Maybe they actually think judicial temperament is “a thing” or finding the facts. Just a guess.
I do know that McConnell scolds are ridiculous. He is too big a hypocrite to be believed.
5
The Republicans successfully denied a court seat to the Dems and got it for themselves without nearly as much fuss. And they also did this with a large number of lower court appointments, held open in Obama's last years so that Republicans could fill them if they took the presidency. They managed to do these things without riling up Democrats to the point of showing up to vote.
Republicans carefully prep and stockpile issues and memes for later use when they need to rile up their supporters. Among these memes are makers and takers, government incompetency, fundamentalism of the Constitution, and the desire of the other side to do things that will inevitably produce another Venezuela. Democratic memes are much more nuanced and less powerful; their best meme, the struggle between the rich and everybody else (more honestly, the class struggle), is so poisonous it has been retired by mainstream Democrats. This is the greatest victory of Republicans, even greater than stealing racism from the Democrats and making it respectable as long as it is clothed as something else.
9
This is ridiculous. Kavanaugh was treated with both patience and civility. He humiliated himself with his dodging of the questions, ranting like a spoiled brat and trying to sob his way out of corners where he trapped himself. All in all, not only is he an automatic disqualification in light of his belief in presidential immunity and the fact that his nomination was submitted by a law-breaking President. He is also disqualified by his flagrant animosity toward liberals and his completely unjudicial temperament and deportment.
22
Stoking anger and fear. That's been the Republican Party's modus operandi since FDR.
God, what a loathsome ideology.
31
Stoking up anger has worked several times in modern history when heavy handed governments exercise quasi-judicial power while invoking justice, truth, legal rights at the expense of justice, truth and legal rights as stipulated by law.
6
A “Democratic takeover”? A “plot to steal a pivotal Supreme Court seat”? Mr. Schlapp attributes a lot of nasty things to Democrats but can he predict voter turn-out? And can he comprehend women’s anger over the treatment of Prof. Blasey Ford. Can he understand why millions of Americans still remember the president’s misogynistic remarks about women recorded when he was talking to a Hollywood promoter weeks prior to the 2016 Election? Women are not cattle, though some men might think they are. Misogyny, regardless of one’s political and religious affiliations and inclinations, is still very real all across our country, and millions of women (and men) are fed up with politicians that pay lip service in opposing it while turning away from actual cases and from the fact that millions of women have had their lives reshaped by a violent act of some drunken man-boy who, like Kavanaugh, loved beer. Whatever the outcome of the Senate vote, Kavanaugh will serve with a cloud over his head.
14
The dialogue coming from the right in recent years consistently points out the anger, hate, and rage of liberals...as if this is what motivates us to approach issues that concern us. This is pure projection, in psychological terms. Anger and rage come from fear. As Frank Herbert wrote so aptly in Dune, "Fear is the mind killer." Fear and rage are the coin and currency of the modern right. The left may voice their opinions stridently and forcefully, but the motivation is for progress and humanism.
16
FOX "News" probably doesn't say much about the GOP's treatment of Merrick Garland, President Obama's nominee. I wouldn't be surprised if most FOX viewers don't even know who he is.
16
@Kaari
That's nonsense... watch FOX and you may be surprised.
McConnell did not allow a vote on Garland because he had the power to do so. Does anyone think that if the tables were reversed, Harry Reid would have done things any differently?
5
@Ian
Yes. That is why Roberts, Thomas and Alito are on the Court. They are all three corporate shills, as was Scalia. If the situation were reversed, none of them would be on the Court.
@Ian
Nonsense.
He did it because A BLACK MAN was about to fill as his rightful political legacy, per the constitution, a seat on the supreme court.
The constitution is clear on this matter. President nomionates, Senate hears the nominee. This process DOES NOT include nor is there any in provision in the constitution for supreme court nominees to bend to "the will of the people" who have already done their job by electing the Senators whose job it is to hear the nominee.
I won't watch Faux News. Anyone referring to them deserves to NOT be listened to. When you see the world, for all it's worth, through nothing by jaundiced eyes you are ignorant.
I am angry too. I am angry over republican mistreatment if women. Re republican who was thrilled because “we are getting our country back”-progressives live here too. It is our country too. We are in the majority but due to gerrymandering and denial of voting rights as well as the huge corruption of Citizens United we have
minimal to no say. We are taxed but not represented in any relevant manner. As a result, thus government appears increasingly illegitimate to significant numbers of citizens. Seems to me our ancestors had to deal with a similar problem. We too want our country back. We see the corrupting effect of this administration and republican abuse of power.
20
Once again, Republicans play to the basest of instincts to gain and retain power. It is one thing to promote a conservative social agenda and a conservative approach to government that reasonable and well-intentioned people can vote for, but quite another to actively promote fear, resentment and anger about things that pose little real threat, whether the "threat" be from Muslims, brown-skinned immigrants and refugees, black young men, or their own mothers, daughters and sisters. If enough voters succumb to the fear of women being incited by Republicans to keep them in power in Congress and put them in power in the Supreme Court and to silence women everywhere else, we can only lose as a nation.
19
At this point it’s not about Kavanaugh or Dr. Ford or any of the testimony. For Republicans it’s about getting my guy on the court regardless of fitness or consequences. For Dems, it’s about sowing enough doubt and thus anger over the nomination to get people out to the polls for the midterms.
No doubt when the dust settles over the weekend, there will be a lot of angry people in this country. Most likely on the Dem side. The question then will be, can the Dems translate that anger into votes for the midterms? Or will it just be more protests and shouting at Republican senators in restaurants?
7
@Marshall Hopefully both. The anger has no political DNA or gameplan, it is visceral human disgust from deep inside. And it's gone international, which proves the point.
8
@Stuart
We can hope that the anger gets more people to the polls, especially women. Just now, Kavanaugh was confirmed for the SC. That means we will have a right wing Court for decades; that means we will have a man who promoted torture under the Bush Administration; that means Trump successfully hid those position papers in the Presidential Archives. I hope that means we can elect a Democrat to the WH who will make Kavanaugh's position papers public. I don't care on which Bench he sits; he will have the cloud of torture, stolen Democratic memos and his relationship with Ken Starr for the rest of his life. Administrations come and go; certain historical memes and stories stay around. Kavanaugh cannot control that; the GOP cannot control that. If the Democrats are smart, and finally ruthless enough, they will use them. The high ground is now out of reach.
@Marshall
I just listened to Senator Murkowski give the most garbled statement I have heard recently; she made absolutely no sense, and she has a vote in the U.S. Senate. If she is the best the GOP can put out there, and the Democrats can't beat that, we are in a very bad place. We new, tough leadership; we can stop being polite and decent. In fact, we have been bringing knives to a gun fight for way too long. I'll take Corey Booker with all his baggage; if a sleazy proven liar can sit on the SC, we need to recognize that and deal with it.
1
As a seventy-one year-old woman, the rage I feel cannot be described in words. It is a culmination of anger I have lived with since Trump began his run. Everything I believed for most of my life about humanity, right and wrong, good and evil - all of that has been turned upside down. I care about men AND women. I care about my country. To see the depths to which we have sunk astonishes me. That Trump occupies The White House - this ill-bred, crude, woman-hating, no-nothing - and runs the country (with much help from enablers) informs me of Ammerica’s deepest racism, misogyny, and classism. It sickens me. And, I mean literally. I don’t sleep well; I have put on ten pounds; I awake with a sense of dread.
And, now, Kavanaugh. I watched Grassley this morning, pontificating about mob rule. Because women are desperate to be heard, to Grassley that’s mob rule. Dr. Ford wrote about her experience of sexual assault BEFORE Kavanaugh was picked - when he was on the short list. McConnell today says the Democrats obstruct and delay. Merrick Garland, anyone? He blatantly lies to the American people and anyone who’s paying attention knows they’re lies. But, Trump spouts nothing but lies and not enough people are paying attention!
This is a crisis. Our country is in trouble. We are on a precipice. This cannot go on much longer. Our country is being destroyed and we may never get it back. I despair. I write; I march; I vote and yet I feel helpless. My heart breaks.
61
@Kathryn
Well, you're old enough to remember Nixon. You may even remember McCarthy. Those Reigns of Witches passed; this will too. We may in fact be witnessing the death throes of the old Confederate Coalition.
Stick around.
8
@Kathryn
Thank you for describing exactly how I feel...and Ièm Canadian!
6
@Steve Paradis - well, if I don’t get rid of the “Trump Ten” I won’t live as long as I’d like! It’s getting to be a choice - watch my weight and blood pressure or stay politically aware. Thanks for your wisdom!
The GOP has taught me that women don't matter to them and sexual assault is okay if the assaulter is a good ol' boy. The first lesson was their support for Trump. The second lesson was their support for Roy Moore. Kavanaugh's confirmation is the final exam with a bonus true/false question: it is okay for good ol' boys to lie under oath (the answer is true).
Oh, and the lesson for the kids? Do whatever you please in high school and college and just cover it up. As long as you don't get caught then, it won't matter at all later.
11
@ChrisH That's only the rule for boys. Girls still have to be ladylike and submit.
12
@WomanUp, too true.
1
What is called conservatism is a fraud and a pox on our country.
17
Could it be that rousing the Republican troops was the purpose of this nomination at the start, especially men who might feel put upon by the growing influence of women in defining what men are and are not supposed to be?
The Republicans nominated a partisan warrior for the Supreme Court, something that was predetermined to excite Democrats to complete opposition, rage. The arrival of allegations of sexual misconduct was then a gift for the Republicans because, once it arrived, they knew or sensed that nothing could be proved, so it would easy to charge the Democrats were being unfair, piling on
On rare occasions, there are, in fact, conspiracies behind political developments. Instead of being hidden, they are often right out in the open for everyone to see and, in that case, they can't be revealed by investigative digging because they are too obvious.
It is rare for such chess moves to work out so well, but, if they planned the explosive reaction of Democrats, they succeeded beyond any measure. In point of fact, the entire Republican strategy, in a larger sense, has been aimed at stoking backlash for decades. The other side, the Democrats, want to upset you, they imply, we want to comfort you can keep things as they are or reset them to a better time. It works, again and again
The single reason to defeat Kavanaugh is the one hundreds of law professors have cites, his emotional and partisan unsuitability for the Court. That strong reason has gotten lost in all the noise.
12
So Kavanaugh will be known as the justice who had a meltdown and threw a tantrum at his confirmation hearing. That should serve his career on the bench very well.
19
What no one seems to ask themselves anymore in our politics, or in our personal lives, is..."At what cost?"
At what cost Kavanaugh's appointment to the SCOTUS? At what cost the Republican tax plan? At what cost the right stoking anger and fear and chaos? At what cost the Trump administration's immigration policies? At what cost obstructing the Affordable Healthcare Act? At what cost low unemployment, but minimal wage increases and limitless employer demands on employees?
Our obsessive money, media, marketing and technology inundated lives perpetuates short attention spans and an insatiable need for stimulation and immediate gratification.
To return to our values, our intrinsic identities, to our empathy, to our wisdom...we need to ask ourselves each day, perhaps many times each day...at what cost?
11
How he was treated?
And this is how you normalize depravity. I have accepted innumerable presidents, presidents, appointments and decrees over my lifetime, and I have done so gracefully when called for and protested vigorously when necessary.
What is destroying us, as the book "The Collapse of Western Civilization" makes clear, is this insane notion that all stories have equal merit and that two sides have equal validity. I am confident in stating that if Democrats had put up Kavanaugh my protest would be just as vigorous and heartfelt. This man is not fit to be judge. In every encounter, he has demonstrated that repeatedly. It is not that liberals are poor sports. We know a fixed game when we see it.
We aren't being difficult for the helluva it. These issues --the systemic abuse of women and the forces that side with the apologists rather than the victims and nominating a demonstrably unqualified candidate--actually matter. Women must stop being dismissed. Judicial temperament matters.
Listening to constituents is the heart of a democracy. Fully two-thirds of this country has voiced finding Kavanaugh totally unfit for the job. Our democracy is on life-support because our elected officials do not listen.
People who are ignored become increasingly desperate. This Congress just knowingly voted in its own narrow, selfish, ruinous agenda knowing the majority does not share it; in taking that step, it has harmed the country and it may just have ushered in its own ruin.
20
@AhBrightWings
We wouldn't have to shout if our ladylike voices were listened to.
9
GOP anger over treatment of Kavanaugh? Put-lease. The greed-over-principle MAGA losers should check themselves. The cold fury that many, many, many women feel and the disgust that many, many, many liberal and moderate men feel over the tired old repressive, disgusting, racist out-of-touch white men who are running the senate is resulting in votes. And not for Republicans.
15
Whether the so-called persecution of Kavanaugh by the left affects voter turnout depends on two things: whether he is finally nominated and to what lengths the right wing conspiracy press and their dear leader will go to sound the alarm about those awful pinkos.
1
@Mary Corder
Kavanaugh has now been confirmed by the last three votes: Manchin, whose constituents will be short changed on necessary health care; Murkowski, whose native American constituents will be further disadvantaged; and, Collins, whose State remains a backwater, mostly poor, dependent on trade with Canada.
I cannot get over Mitch McConnell's claim, made more than once, that the Democrats moved the goal post. The pot calls the kettle black.
8
@Potter
I thoroughly believe that history will look back on Mitch McConnell and not Donald Trump as the instigator of this dark passage in our history. Just the fact that by his own admission his crowning achievement is telling President Obama that Merrick Garland will never get a hearing tells me all I want to know about this evil blot on our Republic.
6
In earlier comments, Kavanaugh elucidated on the requirements for a Judge, any Judge. "Be calm, unbiased, nonpartisan, and walk a mile in someone else's shoes." It appears he knows what it takes to be a Supreme Court Justice, he just doesn't have what it takes.
26
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! What about McConnell's actions in refusing to give Obama's Supreme Court nomination, Garland, a hearing, saying it should be the option of the next president. If that isn't a political plot, I don't know what is. But then, reason doesn't appeal to the extremists on either side.
6
Merrick Garland.
Enough said.
15
This is not about "humiliating this guy." It's about keeping an unqualified person off the Supreme Court - a person that has demonstrated his bias in his tirade before the committee, and a person who has demonstrably lied in his testimony.
17
One of the things I will carry forward with me to the election is the mental images of the pictures of the crowds behind Trump, men and women, laughing as he mocks a sexual assault survivor.
16
@Mary Ann Please convey that image to a dozen young women in your state, and get them to vote for Beto O'Rourke and the Democrat running in your House District. It really is up to the women of this country to save us all from the support that we white men have shown as a group for some truly despicable politicians.
11
Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,” Mr. Schlapp said. “The Kavanaugh confirmation is the personification of that.”
Republicans don't just disagree with Clinton and Obama, they hate them and want them in prison. The lack of a Garland confirmation, Constitution and democratic norms be damned, is the personification of that.
34
The Dem's smelled blood in water with Dr. Ford in their quiver but like they always do they shot theirselves in the foot.Before they went gangbusters in support of Dr Ford should not they have thoroughly investigated her allegations and determined was it worth it? Dr Ford my made me weep but to take down someone in power you can't have gaps as she did. If not Kavanaugh then who? Voting has its consequences and to the victor goes the spoils.I say let Kavanaugh take his stench to the court and mobilize to win in November. The rage in hearts of people who saw first hand that old white men still run this country should translate into votes. Will not Kavanaugh have to temper his options or recluse himself in many cases?The Left needs to learn how to fight and stop whimpering.
7
Such misguided anger, but typical when the concern is sexual abuse: blame the victim. And, the anger totally overlooks Kavanaugh's childish ranting and raving last Friday which if anyone did in "his" court, Kavanaugh would have sent the person to jail for contempt. This man could use some intensive anger management therapy and certain lacks the judicial temperment to hold his current job, much less be rewarded with a promotion.
16
The battle lines are drawn - this country has got to go - the Blue States need to leave.
2
The art of lies, deception, alternative facts and manipulation of government policies for their own benefit; these are the values of the President and GOP. It is all about them, their greed and agendas. Sadly, their followers are too blind to see it and are consumed with justifying this rancid behavior by directing their anger at the opposition. We will all pay the price someday when this mockery of a government comes crumbling down……this includes the people that voted these unpatriotic and self serving hypocrites into office. Millions, thousands may stand with Brett but are oblivious of truth, justice.
Vote Democratic, Independent, anything but Republican in November. The White House and the country need a spiritual cleansing and a totally different kind of government for the country and people.
8
McConnell's outrage over "underhanded gamesmanship" made me snort my coffee all over the laptop this morning. That man has singlehandedly destroyed the credibility of the US Senate. He has no shame and no honor.
That said I find it really hard to believe that rank and file republicans haven't noticed that the only people who ever talk of impeaching Trump are other republicans. I don't understand how the threat of impeachment is a winning strategy. The dem's leadership has said time and again that they are not interested in persuing impeachment. The man may be a moron and a menace but to date there is no evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors.
The outrage is so clearly fabricated. Especially in light of the knowledge that had Clinto won the election articles of impeachment would have been drawn up before she was eveninnaugurated.
It makes me weep to think that there are that many peole in this country who are so willfully ignorant that they would fall for such obviously deceitful propaganda.
More and more I feel like there really is no path to reconcilliation. As long as our elected officials are deliberately fueling partisanship and divisivness how are the citizens ever going to find common ground. I am honestly afraid for our country and our democracy.
10
I am missing John McCain today. I would have liked to see his thumbs down.
21
@A. Stanton John McCain hated woman as much as the majority of the GOP. Voting party line 90% of the time does not make one a maverick.
2
As I watch America slide towards tyranny, with a heavy heart I conclude the momentum is self induced. The nation has always had a violent alter ego, but now, with one admitted sexual predator nominating a presumptive other while a large percentage of the population cheer in encouragement, one can only conclude that Hyde is vanquishing Jekyll for perpetuity. It’s one thing to be a conservative judge, it’s something else to represent a neofascist, structurally violent, dictatorship. Trump heads an abomination of an administration, one that defends Charlottesville, attacks victims of sexual assault, consorts with hostile foreign powers, the list is endless. One can only hope that, in Kavanaugh’s likely but unpalatable appointment, that other conservative judges liberalise in the name of justice.
This is a terrible time for democracy. It is a terrible time for America and, by inference, the world. I see how the GOP works: it uses Trump to enact what they never previously dared enact in a time of wanton opportunism. As soon as Mueller reports, the party will ditch him and deal with the fallout, tax cuts and a sympathetic SCOTUS there in place to cushion the blast. Republicanism is no longer an ideology; it is a sick mania.
13
I didn't vote for any of"The old white men" on the judiciary committee because i'm on the other side.
However , as a Democrat, i'm not jumping on any bandwagon
with rude,excitable people who are screaming at senators(no matter which party)as they enter their offices, their elevators or in private restaurants.
The shouting group of mostly women who are pushing and screaming their way through the halls and elevators of congress, don't represent me as a democrat.Shouting obscenities at old white men while holding their elevator doors open reminds me of Donald Trump and his gang of ruffians while campaigning for the presidency.
This is my opinion and i fully expect good women from around this country to turn on me with indignation because you are so sure that you are right and i am wrong
.
You are Angry about Dr. Blasey Ford and the other women and i am angry about the 3.1 million Vietnamese we killed for no reason.
Those people plus our soldiers and all the others we killed since the end of WW2. All for no good reason. I am ANGRY !
The whole world is angry about something or another.
Breaking into a restaurant and shouting at Colin Powell and his wife having dinner together would not have stopped the war in Iraq
The same applies to Ted Cruz and his wife also Mich McConnell
and family. That won't win you any battles.
Women, your cause is just. We must find a better way to win.
7
Yes, unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. As much as I would like to see Kavanaugh go down to defeat, I'm afraid if that happens, the right will be more fired up to vote in the midterm elections. On the other hand, this guy , if confirmed, could be on the court for decades making one horrible decision after another. So in the end, the best outcome is he gets rejected and the whole thing blows over by November and the Blue Wave will bring a much needed repudiation of the most incompetent and dangerous president in my lifetime (that includes Nixon.)
11
Dems are anti-women.
The Dems believed Ford was a victim, and then went right ahead to publicly leak her story against Ford's wishes.
Outing a sexual assault victim against her wishes is among the most despicable thing you can do.
Yet that's exactly what the Dems did for political gain. They used and abused someone they believed was a sexual assault victim.
3
@Jay Lincoln Nice try.
2
@Jay Lincoln
The letter was leaked by a staff member, not a Senator.
Hey, right wing!
You're not the ONLY ones who can be angry and galvanize voters!
Your over-the-top manipulation and coercion to get an utterly unqualified judge on the court may well be the spark that gets a lot of us lazy moderates and progressives out in record numbers to vote your ilk out of office, once and for all.
And also press for indictment and conviction of the election-stealing, tax-evading, serial0lying Trump!
10
The gop gets people angry & most of the people don't know why they are getting angry. Ask them questions & all they can say is I heard this from trump or someone in the cafe or from a friend. They never check out stuff for themselves. They just want to be part of the group with their friends, not outsiders. Many are the homebody women or work in Walmart & men (young & old) who don't work. It is sad that the gop can stir these people up with lies & fraud. There was never really any doubt that he would be confirmed. All these people mad for no reason.
9
It's kind of sad where we've arrived. The two camps are in total polarization. Each camp is now more convinced than ever that they're righteous and the other is evil. So one big result of the Judge Kavanaugh mess is simply the escalation of this polarization.
Except there's a second issue here. This is, what is the impact this soap opera may have had on the somewhat small number of Americans who somehow have made it to this point without taking sides or are lukewarm members of one tribe or the other? Just using the 2016 election results as a gauge, it seems to me that the Republicans had the most to lose. In 2016, 50% of Americans voted Democratic, and I think the chances of many of them now deciding they like President Trump and his gang are low. But although 48% voted for Trump, almost immediately and to this day only 40% said they "support" him—so the remaining 8% or so is up for grabs.
I'm probably not objective about this, being a member of one of the two tribes (the Democrats). But my take is that in the middle of all this awfulness the Republican brand took a big hit. The tie-breaker was their appalling tone-deafness on the issue of abuse of women. Of course, this is tough when your fuhrer is a career abuser himself.
The guy I'm looking at in the NY Times photo in his "I Stand With Brett" T shirt wouldn't have been impacted by this. It's the quiet types who wouldn't have worn such a shirt that the Republicans may have now lost.
7
The anger is with the Democrats. The FBI investigation was too like the Devin Nunes House committee investigation: a show trial not designed to get at the truth.
Show trials were covered at Nuremberg.
8
"Anger at the treatment of Kavanaugh." OMG, how dare we have the temerity to question the God-given right of this wealthy white frat boy, who lied this way through confirmation hearings, attacked half the population with vitriol and can't control his emotions in public, to sit in judgment of hundreds of millions of people?
The GOP has turned into an anti-democratic (little d) conspiracy theory party more suited to a banana republic. Why any female would vote for these people is totally mystifying. Let alone the rest of us.
21
@David
Why did these women turn on Al Franken, the one man who was on their side? After listening to Murkowski's garbled statement in which she said absolutely nothing worth paying attention to, I hope that Alaskans were appropriately embarrassed by her. The U.S. Senate is not a "deliberative body"; it is a shambles of incoherence.
Goodness, our puerile president who denigrates, mocks and devalues others on a daily basis, is upset about how Kavanaugh is being treated? That is rich.
15
And I hope the performance of Lyin' Brett and lyin' Trump sends record numbers of voters to the polls to dump the GOP. The good news? I think it will happen.
9
@Texas Progressive
If you genuinely live in Austin, TX and you're registered to vote there then, yes, you can probably expect a fair showing of Democratic support at the polls. Unfortunately you're in one of the most gerrymandered districts in the country. You might want to cast an absentee ballot and try to mobilize voters in surrounding districts.
1
GOP; the party of hate. Trump says protestors are paid by Soros; ridiculous. Trump/Republicans have destroyed Democracy to get their way.Republicans have plans in place to take your health care away; take away Social Security and take away Medicare. Vote NO to Republicans. Ray Sipe
11
@Ray Sipe . Exactly! I'd like to point out how I've participated in three marches since January 2017. It seems how all my Soros checks are lost in the mail.
5
Ray, President Trump and the Republicans like to bring up Mr. Soros and blame him for all their woes because it’s the best they can muster to deflect attention from their support by the billionaires and the Russians. Of course, there’s an even bigger dis here, that their cause is so righteous that nobody would be motivated to demonstrate against them unless they were bribed to do so.
3
Ridiculous.....and we're all still sufficiently outraged at the out and out theft of Merrick Garland's seat.
While it may not have been Dems finest hour or most deft moves, the GOP themselves own MUCH of the blame for the circus around the nomination and the resulting damage to Kav's rep.
Regardless of the 'when' they learned about Ford's allegations....the GOP's initial reaction was to try to ignore it, and then ....their staunch refusal to take sufficient time out to do a thorough and proper inquiry was what created and fueled the whole circus and outrage. Kav didn't help himself by his trying to paint a chaste picture of himself on Fox, which clearly was untrue....and the GOP let him....and then he blew a very telling, and bias gasket for us all to see.
No one is blameless here....but least of all the GOP - desperate to steal a second SCOTUS seat and fill it with THIS guy....no other will do .....cause they've been grooming him for this for decades and they really don't care about much else.
5
I was 8 he was 16 when I was molested. Took a couple of days but my Mom noticed me mopping & got it out. Lots of crying, and accusations. Times were different back then.
I’ve also been accused of sexual harassment twice both times exonerated. The second time was accused of “lengthy leering” while trying to organize a collective bargaining unit. Obvious management retribution.
I have a unique prospective on the current gender war.
Dr. Ford while compelling & believable waited too long. She can’t recall important facts & circumstances. This leaves holes in her testimony & her supporters throw presumption of innocence & statute of limitations under the bus in the context of the #metoo generation.
Judge Kavanaugh shows himself as a political hack & lacking judicial temperament that leaves much to be desired including a gapping lack of credibility. I think he’s lying.
Sword of Solomon: cut um both in half and take away both their priveldge.
Never forget what accuser & accused represent; rule of law that does not apply to the vast majority of Americans.
The elite of this Country simply play by a different set of rules & punishment while they drag the weak & unrepresented into a pit of righteous indignities for the most simplistic of transgressions.
My our grandchildren forgive us.
5
Why is it that the conservatives / Republicans always pullout the victim card when their feelings get hurt for being abused, mistreated, disrespected and not getting their entitled way? Crocodile tears for such lack of equality and unfairness. Please!
10
Trump’s new campaign KWITP - Keep Women In Their Place. Look for it in 2020.
3
The hoodwinking of America by the GOP is all the more reason to put the bums on unemployment come Nov 6.
7
Its difficult to even react to this piece, after reading what, two solid months of Democrat hysterics on this process. The Democrats played every card available to them - they rue that there was no point at which they could deploy their race card - trying to turn this into a referendum on decency vs. evil. Increasingly aggressive tactics? Nothing I've seen from Trump's side is 1% as aggressive as framing this guy as an evil, drunk gang rapist.
Its like we're operating in entirely different dimensions at this point.
4
I don't think you quite understand the magnitude of the shift that Kavanaugh will cause. Do you have any vaguely progressive inklings? Expect every one of them to be struck down even if a Democratic Congress and White House pass them
1
Enormously ironic approach. What the GOP and Trump do best. Turn a bad situation into a beneficial one. What the Kavanaugh nomination debacle demonstrates very clearly is what happens when one party seizes full governmental powers and becomes an autocracy.
7
If they heard a tiny fraction of a similar accusation against someone who comes to work in their house for say, babysitting, they wouldn't even blink before showing her/him the door.
John Oliver might have put it the best: There are tons of conservative judges on the list prepared by the Federalist Society where Trump picked Kavanaugh from, and who, presumably, won't have the shadow of sexual misconduct allegations and serve GOP's long-term agenda just as well.
So why is GOP so insistent on ramming this particular judge through?
Because it is too important at this point to send the message of their "power". One that demonstrates their instinct of "putting opponents in their place" no matter what.
I'm not an American, but I've seen this having played out (granted, slightly differently but not wildly dissimilar either) in my home country as well - which I can no longer recognize when I go back to visit friends and family. This is one of many baby first steps (OK, not so "baby" anymore and definitely not the "first") to serve their anti-democratic vision.
For the sake of my fellow Americans, and for the rest of the world, I really hope November 6 is the end of this. I wholeheartedly do.
11
@Nikre
Is that the same John Oliver who jokingly dared President Trump to run? Begged him to run? He is a hack and what he thinks doesn't matter. If I want to chuckle, I will tune in to John Oliver. If I want political advice, he is not on my list of go to guys.
2
"Democrats 'don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,' Mr. Schlapp said. 'The Kavanaugh confirmation is the personification of that.'"
Really? Does anyone recall the ubiquitous chants of, "Lock her up!!"?
"Mr. Trump has been framing the midterm elections as 'a vote to reject the politics of anger, destruction and chaos.'"
Seriously? Is there anything besides "anger, destruction and chaos" that Republicans have to run on?
These are just two more examples of Republican projection.
If there is a silver lining to the Kavanaugh hearings, and his almost certain confirmation, is that it should boost the turnout for the November election.
6
The shirt (shown in the photo accompanying this article) shirt begs a question. I Stand With Brett. Would that be before or after beer? IF confirmed, Kavanaugh will never over-ride his Mad Dog performance at the hearing. I see ongoing jokes and cartoons at his expense. Kegs delivered to the Supreme Court back entrance addressed TO: Bart O'Kavanaugh. "What's under those robes? Empty beer cans that can't be discarded in the SC waste baskets."Kavanaugh will be subject to endless ridicule. He will be suspected, denigrated, questioned, and examined at every turn. The press will continue to explore, investigate and report about him as witnesses, ignored by the FBI, continue to come forward with information. Kavanaugh's SC colleagues will tolerate but not fully respect him. Worst of all (from his view) the specter of Trump being displeased with his decisions. Heaven forbid he's called upon to 'recuse' himself on a particular case. As we know, that means Doom.
NO NICE DAYS FOR YOU ON THE HIGH COURT.
9
I hope the Guinness Book of Records people are keeping a close watch on Mitch McConnell.
It seems to me that he is now coming very close to exceeding the American land-speed record for extremely bad behavior in public places that is currently shared by Joseph McCarthy, Huey Long, Alger Hiss, Sarah Palin and O.J. Simpson.
Say whatever you want to about him, but fair is fair. If he can keep up his present pace in Washington for just a few more days, I believe the Guinness people are going to have to award him the record.
11
How quickly they (Republicans) forget the sins of their past. The hatred between Republican and Democratic voters will only increase as Trump remains president.
5
Nobody has to harness my anger. I'm angry already. I'm angry that our government is a bad three-ring circus and that norms are NOT respected. First, they weren't respected by Trump, now, they're not respected by Schumer/Feinstein and others. That someone else didn't respect them in the past (like McConnell for Garland) is completely irrelevant to whether other people respect norms. At least that's how I live my life.
Why don't we skip the whole government thing, save a lot of money, and rule ourselves by referendum? We've lost touch with the fact that we elect people to REPRESENT us -- we think we're entitled to get them to vote exactly how each of them would like on every single matter. I'm disgusted, I'm angry.
2
Once again, Trump and the GOP have worked hard to divide the nation on yet another issue, and this morning, we read about the man in Florida who made online threats against senators who vote against Kavanaugh. It didn't have to be this way. If it weren't for the money involved, the politics, the fear on the part of senators who might otherwise vote with their hearts, we could have dealt with this circus in the proper way. But now, senators will be forced to vote along party lines as Trump riles up his base in a disgusting way... What will become of us as a nation?
7
It's not about hope the polls are showing that Republicans are tired of the circus atmosphere created by Feinstein, Booker, Harris and others. Going into the mid-terms the Democrats have no message and no leaders. Open borders, socialism and abolishing immigration and customs is not a winning platform it's insanity.
3
So the man's pain and rage--over nothing but losing a promotion, and perhaps being falsely accused--is authentic and should be credited, even if Kavanaugh lied time after time under oath about his background. But the women's (note the plural!) pain at having been assaulted, well, not so much.
The Republican War on Women continues.
13
All lies, partisan efforts to win at any cost to the senate or our nation. Christine Ford had no reason to subject herself to such misery except for speaking the truth. She tried immediately when seeing Kavanaugh's name on a short list of nominees, but it did not come out until later. There are plenty of conservative judges that are better deserving of this nomination to SCOTUS. There is NO left wing democratic conspiracy, just an attempt to get to the truth. Republicans are allergic to the truth along with their lying president.
6
"G.O.P Hopes..." says it all.
Republicans often tend to perceive the world around them as a series of threats which conspire to destroy them and keep them constantly under siege (e.g. "I'm so put out to pay more taxes so 'others' can have more at my expense.") But who among us would rather pay no taxes and is not of the mind how they pay more than their fair share?
Additionally, Republicans tend to perceive and label any group gathered to be a sham, paid protestors, a leftist plot, etc because they have guilty knowledge of rigging their own events, including events which marginalize their own party. For a fine example of this, please see: Ames Straw Poll.
Today, poor Mitch McConnell made things out to be how he, Republicans and Kavanaugh are all victims of Democrat/leftist nonsense and conspiracies. His speech was alternately histrionic, antagonistic, sophomoric and largely inaccurate. It was vintage Mitch: always under siege, always shameless, always the victim and always of a guilty conscience unmatched by anyone.
9
Honestly, I do not understand. Mistreatment of Judge Kavanaugh? Mistreatment? A judge is above question? What aspect of life can someone name where we aren't challenged when being considered for an important role? Name it. It's an honor to be challenged. Too many people don't even get a chance. OK, the challenge here is embarrassing. So? Compare that to the humiliation of sexual mistreatment. Not even close. This is a lifetime appointment and credible questions came up about his character. Getting white male angry over mistreatment is one more way that these particular white males show themselves to be out of touch with all too common humiliating hardships of being female in a world dominated by... angry white males. I personally found the judge's testimony and the finer points of his jurisprudence, my homework was off the beaten track of the usual pre-chewed content, to be lacking, i.e., he won't be impartial. We can do better. Shouldn't we?
5
Republican voters are fortunate that their interests are represented by a party that fights every battle like a cornered badger. If only progressive values got such fierce representation.
6
Why aren't more people outraged about the treatment of the three women who stated they were sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh? Republicans display outrage about the emotional pain suffered by Kavanaugh and his family. What about the emotional pain the Kavanaugh accusers have experienced because of his assaults and because they have publicly denounced his behaviour? What do these women gain from denouncing his behaviour? Zero, absolutely zero. In fact, they are paying a huge price of emotional upheaval, they receive hate mail, and their families are suffering because of their bravery too! The Democrats should point this out! Why would anybody come out to accuse a powerful male of assault, when women who dare to do so are treated the way Republicans treated Dr. Ford and the two other women who had the courage to say that Kavanaugh is not fit for the Supreme Court because of his low moral standards. Kavanaugh was not under trial, where someone is innocent until proven guilty. He was interviewing for one of the most powerful jobs in the USA and we should expect such people to have had outstanding behaviour all their lives. Contrariwise, Kavanaugh exhibited biased, hateful temperament during his opening statement and lied repeatedly during his testimony. He is not fit to serve for life on the Supreme Court. I hope all decent men and women punish the Republicans for their misogynistic behaviour towards women.
9
So much anger and paranoia. What do they have to say about Merrick Garland's being opposed and the SC lacking a justice for nearly a year? I am a Democrat. I am beyond mad about Merrick Garland. But the confirmation of Gorsuch seemed reasonable given he was a Republican nominee. And he went through without much noise. I don't like Kavanaugh and it was nothing to do with Blasey Ford's accusation because I don't know for sure whether she is telling the truth or not. We saw a man with a temperament clearly not suitable for the SC. That's it. Period.
8
The loser: The Supreme Court, that now visible to all was degraded from the highest judicial institution to a political power center to fought over by politicians, with any means possible
Prior to entering a fight you ought to weight the chances of success vs the societal damage - and here the Democrats fell short.
1
Fine. Defend Kavanaugh on his (dubious) merits if one wishes, but mocking Dr. Ford to achieve this end is beyond the pale. I have nothing but contempt for the angry white male voters who are still engaging in misogyny as a motivator for their voting preferences. This is disgusting. If there is a female surge in November that ousts the GOP it is deeply deserved.
It seems that Kavanaugh will be confirmed, but the other shoe will drop for those concerned about reproductive rights, civil rights, native American rights (Alaska!), LGBTQ rights, and immigration policy when Kavanaugh exercises his threat: "what goes around, comes around." And this will last for the lifetime of the majority of Americans living today.
With Kavanaugh we are facing the Gulags of our time as our Constitutional rights are stolen from us by an unprincipled Republican Party, who got their way by cheating, lying and stealing. Kavanaugh is the lynchpin in their strategy to effect this coup.
8
"Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,” Mr. Schlapp said. 'The Kavanaugh confirmation is the personification of that.'"
I'd like to know, if this is true, why did Gorsuch get through without a peep?
8
This debacle reminds me of the Benghazi investigation. Remember how it was determined in less than a week that there was no wrongdoing and afterwards no further investigation was done whatsoever and nobody spoke about it ever again?
4
after Kav hearing, you knew women were going to get beat up at home, that night..That unapologetic male anger - fueled by dinner cocktails- a deadly mix for wives and girlfriends..
1
I say:
Let them seat him, Ladies.
This our best chance.
Otherwise, they will claim we sunk Kavanaugh.
The only thing we have going for us is anger.
19
@MAmom2
That's the kind of twisted games playing that gave Republicans Obama's seat.
Keep playing to lose and wonder why you lost.
1
Frankly, I don't care if they claim we sank Kavanaugh. I just wish it were true.
1
The Republican strategic pivot away from the merits of case against Kavanaugh toward a general strategy of manning the barricades against the ominous dark hordes of Democrats is a standard tactic when you've lost the argument on its merits.
It goes like this: "Since we all know that Kavanaugh, by virtue of his lying, temperament and partisanship, is unsuited for the Supreme Court (and in fact if the FBI had been allowed to do a deeper investigation, that would have sealed the facts), we have to find a higher value that our Republican base will accept that will allow them to ignore their moral concern about placing a likely sexual abuser on the Supreme Court." Hence the false statements from Trump about "all men should be afraid" (no, the vast majority of rapes are committed by repeat offenders, about 1 in 20 men).
In addition, Republican fear-mongering appeals directly to the survival part of the brains of the people in their base -- it's a form a psychological abuse to trigger people in this manner by manufacturing false threats (same is true for Democrats). The major and minor parties have switched back and forth over the years without incident, but the possibility has always been there -- and is now being activated by Republicans -- that a normal power switch could be cast as an existential political apocalypse. You get to cry wolf a couple times like this, but then that's it, it longer works. Republicans are burning all their bridges here to get the seat.
46
@Kip Leitner Nonsense. The GOP stance has been consistent throughout: Kavanaugh is a decent, principled jurist and human being, excellently suited for the Supreme Court and any allegations to the contrary must be substantiated to be credible. Due process, the rule of law and the presumption of innocence are Priority 1. This remains their position to this moment.
The pivots have all been from the Democrats. First it was about his ideology putting Roe at risk. Next it was Ms. Ford's allegations turning the guy into a sexual predator. And now that that those insinuations have been found to be uncorroborated it's about his character and temperament as evidenced in his angry rebuttals of the scurrilous character assassination efforts made against him.
Enough already. Either the Democrats have created enough smoke (without a lick of fire) to derail the nomination or they haven't. Vote and be done with it.
And by the way, this disaffected libertarian-conservative who easily could have sat out the November elections due to Trump malaise is more energized than than I can ever recall being to vote now - angrily against anyone with a D next to their name. Character assassins and their abettors have no place in the public square. Ever.
Kavanaugh walked into that final day of the hearing with prepared notes. That means the wild conspiracy theories and furious vitriol he spewed with his face contorted in demonic rage was premeditated. Hence, any notion that he could ever be impartial is a joke.
52
@Alan
You mean he might balance out Ruth Bader Ginsburg? What a shock.
Barack Obama already told you that elections mean things. Just as he brought in two dedicated Leftists aiming to legistate societal change from the bench, the Trump Era will boost the presence of people who agree with the ideas behind the original creation of the Supreme Court.
It all works out in the lonng run.
2
By the way, the one person who’s really come off well in all this is Heidi Heitkamp. Her no will probably lock up her defeat, as she well knows. Apparanetly she just couldn’t stomach it.
The fact that she’ll most likely get beat, while a guy like Kavanagh—who if he were what he keeps saying he is, would have withdrawn on principle—gets on the Court, tells you a lot about just how much trouble we’re in.
84
Yes, the democratic machine forced Kavanaugh to act like a complete ass during his testimony. There is no accountability and entitlement will be what he brings the to court if he is approved.
21
Voting with anger over Kavanaugh will definitely affect the vote of this independent. I will not be voting Republican.
23
@Barbara You have a chance to really make a difference with that vote, too. The House race in your district is a toss-up.
1
In this last month before the elections, money from the Koch Bros., Sheldon Adelson and other billionaires is pouring in to the Republican Party and it is showing up in TV ads lying about democrat positions and over the top support for Kavanaugh.
If the American voter wants to continue to "buy into" their propaganda, then I guess you deserve The Republicans and Donald Trump.
13
@Deus - Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans support Donald Trump. Trump supporters have always been a minority, and two years of Trump's incompetence, ignorance, and corruption has caused erosion of his support. Although the number should be higher, there are many Americans who regret their votes for Trump. A mistake they will not repeat should he be around to run for reelection in 2020.
4
No worries there. This is going to drive a lot of people to the polls. But it may not be the people Republicans want there.
#SurvivorsVote
15
Have they, at long last, no shame? If asking pertinent questions about Kavanaugh's temperament and history is so dreadful, what do we say of the GOP's entirely blocking even consideration of Merrick Garland? In the hearings, Kavanaugh showed a total lack of judicial temperament as defined by the ABA. Is this all about holding fetuses' interests above those of the women who carry them? Is it about having a judge on the Court who will be biased toward Trump's interests? Has the GOP completely abandoned any thought of fairness in serving the public? Surely the answer must be yes.
20
@Bonnie - David Frum has warned us. If conservatives cannot win in a free and fair democratic system, they won't abandon conservatism. They will abandon democracy.
It's happening now, and thousands of Republican voters are in the streets helping them.
7
Matt Schlapp is wrong. I don't want Donald in jail. Where would we put the secret service?
I want Donald out of office where he can't continue to affect me or my country.
19
The two pillars of the GOP campaign- anger and fear.
Who needs competent policy?
21
I support Judge Kavanaugh.
I support the President.
I support Trump.
Thank you.
4
What is wrong with these people? Do they honestly think Dr. Ford was making up what happened to her as a part of some Democratic plot? NYT, hold these people accountable please, and go get them and their representatives making public statements to this effect.
14
@Alex Duncan I don't think that many people genuinely believe she's lying. The issue at play here is most Republicans just don't care. They view womens' bodies as property to be sold and traded, so when a man just takes what he wants from a woman, that's just something he's entitled to do in the Republican mentality. They genuinely can't understand why people are getting so worked up over this, because women aren't actually people to them.
5
@Alex Duncan - Just look at today's GOP base and the candidates they'll enthusiastically vote for. Roy Moore, an accused pedophile - he even received the vocal support of "president" Donald Trump. Now the GOP base is in the streets waving placards and hollering in support of a man accused of at least two violent, drunken sexual assaults. I guess nothing should surprise us given that Republican voters cheer and applaud Donald Trump, and man who brags about sexually assaulting women and who, we now know with certainty, is a liar and cheat who has defrauded America and Americans (including his own supporters) out of hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. Patriotic, decent Americans will be the people who MAGA, just as soon as we rid ourselves of Donald Trump and his band of corrupt party members. America will never be great as long as these people are in the White House holding positions of power.
6
A fretful Brett has let loose a plethora of philippics, to clear his name, and it DID work for the GOP, much more emphatically, as banal as it may sound. Susan Collins and Joe Manchin have betrayed the trusts of those who were pinning their hopes in them. What a bunch of hacks! And the FBI? Their perfunctory performance in trying to unearth the hidden past deeds of Brett have proven to be profoundly pathetic.
Now, Jeff Flake's coup de foudre, near the elevator, in triggering an FBI investigation, turned out to be quite jejune. Hopefully, in the real voting session, for Brett's confirmation, a handful of the GOPers will wake up and be rigidly righteous. Otherwise, a degringolade of the GOP as a party will not, entirely, be unlikely. Given Trump's desultory and even heuristic policies, and the turpitude of many politicians, the GOP base still can be vivified by ''red meat'' attacks of the Dems, belonging to a ''do-nothing'' party of nitwits and even criminals, as observed by Trump himself. A pointless blather, it is.
Trump's tomfoolery will continue to rule the roost, and the Dems will have to quadruple their efforts in winning back both the houses, which still seems like a pipe-dream for them.
4
More whipping up anger rather than thoughtful debate. Then trading on that anger for...what? I saw a video clip yesterday of Hatch dismissively waving bye-bye from behind his bodyguards in an elevator to a woman who was asking him questions. That pretty much summed it up for me. An old white man saying goodby to women. These old guys (I'm no spring chicken myself) have a drive for power and greed...but not for country. It is sad and scary at the same time. I don't know what they think they'll get out of this. A statue in their hometown? We are all here temporarily and if we don't act with that knowledge then it is unlikely that we will advance civilization. We are regressing to a third-world despotic form of government. This will all end soon, one way or another.
30
@Frank I wonder how much elected and appointed people are required to tolerate in terms of shouted questions, angry fingers in faces, etc., at moments that already fraught and overwrought. I think we've forgotten that we elect people who REPRESENT us -- we aren't entitled to have them vote as we'd like them to vote on every matter. My Congresswoman represents 700,000 people!
I write letters to my Senators and my Member of Congress. I express my opinion frequently. I don't, however, go to the halls of Congress and rudely yell at people. I think everybody gets fed up now and then when dealing with people who are clearly not going to be satisfied by anything except having their explicit will be done.
I agree with you -- we are regressing to a third-world despotic form of government. Everybody needs to behave better. Everybody, sir.
6
@Frank It is frightening how polarized this country has become. Two different realities - a "third-world despotic government" versus an "hysterical, deconstructionist Democratic party! Just my 2 cents regarding your observation of Senator Hatch - you can't have a conversation with someone who is screaming at you.
3
@Frank
Ironic how Cornyn compares Republican senators to Atticus Finch protecting Tom Robinson. The closest analogy to Tom Robinson in recent years is the falsly accused and imprisoned Central Park Five. Kavanaugh is more of a cross between Mayella and Bob Ewell and Republican senators, the Mississippi mob and the rest of trump supporters the vigilante mob outside the courthouse. Too bad they can't be bothered to listen to Jem.
It seems the best way to rile up Republican voters is to play into their persecution syndrome. They are obsessed with the fallacy that they are being persecuted somehow. Despite the fact that Christianity is by far the dominant religion, many evangelicals have this notion that it will be outlawed any day now. I can only hope that people's minds get stronger and stop buying into these and similar lies the Republicans are selling.
18
@Matthew S Sometimes I wish that we genuinely would start persecuting these people, so that they can learn what ACTUAL persecution feels like. Maybe then they'd stop whining about it all the time.
7
@Matthew S
You really can fool some of the people all of the time.
2
RE: "To Fire Up Voters, G.O.P. Stokes Anger Over Treatment of Kavanaugh"
Because it is always about the man.
Can you imagine a headline that read T"o Fire Up Voters, G.O.P. Stokes Anger Over Treatment of Women" ?
Yeah, me either.
16
America's future is in the hands of the segments of the population the Republicans have worked to disenfranchised.
The dominant minority is striking back.
1
For the good of the country, Kavanaugh must be confirmed, and the Senate Democrats must be punished at the polls.
If you don't agree with me, then I implore you to think again. Think about the precedent they will have set if they pull this off.
The Senate Democrats will have prevented an otherwise deserving appointment based entirely on an unsupported accusation.
Any two-bit crook or publicity-seeking lowlife can make an unsupported accusation for fun or profit. Do you want to give them a veto over appointments to public office? If the Democrats succeed, then every future nominee who is the remotest bit controversial will attract a swarm of such fraudulent accusers.
Don't think this won't affect you. If the Democrats succeed, this will go viral. Your job security too will be at risk. Anyone for whatever reason who wants to harm you will find that the Senate Democrats have given him just the weapon he needs. The more lurid the accusation, the better. You will be presumed guilty until you prove yourself innocent. Why should your employer risk the opprobrium from retaining an employee who is under a cloud of suspicion?
The Senate Democrats have violated a bedrock value of a civilized society. It is our duty to say "no" to them.
9
@Ian Maitland - "Any two-bit crook or publicity-seeking lowlife can make an unsupported accusation for fun or profit."
You really should show more respect for your President. After all, he can't help it, he was brought up that way.
But to your point, I understand. For the good of the country the Senate Republican must be punished at the polls.
If you don't agree with me, then I implore you to think again. Think about the precedent set.
The Senate Republicans prevented an unimpeachable appointment based entirely on, well, nothing. No charges. No innuendo. No calls for an Imperial Presidency. Nothing.
2
@Ian Maitland I am a registered Independent who will be voting a straight, Democratic ticket. Judge Kavanaugh's partisan rant and threats of "reprisals" for years to come is sufficient evidence that he is not fit to sit on the Supreme Court.
8
@Ian Maitland Is Dr. Blasey Ford a two-bit crook or a publicity-seeking lowlife? According to your comment she must be one of those. Please specify which you think she is. My impression along with the impression of a large majority of those that actually saw the hearings is that she is neither.
3
The treatment of one entitled man vs. all women. Good luck to the GOP.
10
A very sad day for the women of this country.
10
A smear campaign to stymie Kavanaugh's nomination? Really? This is a nomination that is being rammed through by McConnell without due process ... a veritable blatant GOP hi-jacking of judicial process.
18
@John Townsend
In addition to McConnell blocking any chance for Obama to present a nominee, Merrick Garland, for the SC there is the following:
Kavanaugh worked for Bush during the Ken Starr circus; he proposed questions, most of which were too salacious to use. He also wrote position papers for Bush in support of illegal torture of enemy combatants; those papers are stored in the Presidential Archives under Trump's control. It is an absolute guarantee that if one of Obama's top aides had written papers advocating torture, the WSJ would have published them as soon as Trump declared his candidacy against Clinton. One would think a Yalie scholar would know the history of torture policies after WWI and WWII; there written statements by those who knew the subject that the Japanese responded to hot tea and cookies; they were able to withstand torture.
Ok, let's see. The retiring judge Stevens says he is not qualified, and Kavanaugh himself regrets his own remarks and demeanor. And the MAGA people are going to act like he was ubused.
It all makes perfect sense in the Bizarro Trump world.
19
The republican press strategy is pathetic. What is more pathetic though is the Times pandering to their wishful thinking. The issue for democrats (and the majority of voters who are independents) is not the typical angry republican voter. Mean spirited republicans are thankfully a significant minority of the electorate. Yet the mid term election will be a test of who we are as a nation. Will the vast majority of registered voters exercise their right(s) to vote or just throw up their hands and say it doens't matter? Will others finally register and vote their conscience to stem the tide of anger, lies and hatred that so clearly defines the republican party? We'll soon find out.
13
President Trump tweeted this morning that "The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fall for it!"
"Paid professionals" - let that sink in. "Paid professionals." Women who were raped and sexually assaulted are "paid professionals," demonstrating at the behest of George Soros. President Trump is forcing us to come up with new vocabulary; we need to find new words for the kind despicable, reprehensible behavior and language he uses. Children at Sandy Hook were "crisis actors." Women who are raped and protest to tell their stories are "paid professionals." This is sick.
As to this article, I agree with the G.O.P. on one thing. I hope and pray that people will go to the polls in record numbers this November. I hope the Democratic Party will register as many new voters as possible, and will get people to voting precincts however they can. President Trump lost the popular vote by millions. No conspiracy theories will change that fact. As a nation, we need to vote these horrible, entitled politicians out of office as soon as we can.
November 6, 2018
13
God uncertain which side of the Divided States to bless!
1
@Ben Veentjer - Only Republicans engage in the fantasy that "God" is blessing America or the GOP.
4
"stoking anger"---nobody does it better than GOPers on their way to destroying this country. Their breathless "base" is always angry and it is all they respond to.
10
Right. Because sane people would ever, ever go to known liar Roger Stone to get the truth. I don't think so.
Americans expect the FBI to do an actual investigation.
They expect a president to tell the truth.
Truth is also "a powerful source of energy".
8
It is certainly a factor for me. Of course, I'm a Democrat.
4
I voted for Trump because I found Hillary beyone appalling and thought the country should be done with Clintons. But I have never been angry in my political views regardless of which side was in power. Until now. The way the left showed they would do anything, and say anything, and destroy anyone to stop Kavanaugh has offended me incredibly and deeply. So now the left has successfully made me an angry partisan Republican. I doubt if I'm alone.
11
Perhaps now, you have a sense of the anger that the "Left" felt when Merrick Garland did not even get a hearing; and the Republicans left a vacant position on the Supreme Court for an entire year. It certainly did not help matters that a Republican President elected with a minority of the popular vote and the aid of Russian government hackers went on to fill this stolen seat.
4
Care to provide actual reasons you thought her "beyone appalling", or are you simply admitting here you consume Fox News-Entertainment propaganda like any other breakfast?
The way the wrong showed they would do any procedural trick, and say any insult to rape victims, and destroy any semblance of bipartisan spirit to plow Keggernaugh right through to the Court has offended all actual Americans incredibly and deeply.
3
@Todd - You've been offended "incredibly and deeply". Just imagine the feelings of the millions of American women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Your feelings pale in comparison.
8
Very tough - just because he lied under oath! And if that's not bad enough, think about poor Roy Moore, too.
11
Why are you not showing the men's faces in your coverage? The difference is striking.
4
Fear and anger: the mainstay of the Republican Party.
12
@Maria Rodriguez
Yes, because they work. Democrats need to learn this because while principles are important, they don't matter if you can't win elections.
2
@Maria Rodriguez - And resentment. Republicans love to foment resentment among their base.
2
In terms of politics, the election in November is as far away as the 22nd Century. Conservatives will have Kavanaugh and their long held opportunity to reverse Roe, but not that many Republican voters are unlikely to remember this fight in the mid-terms elections. Trump will have created 10 or 20 more outrageous diversions between now and then, while doing one rally after another that deeply offend most of the country.
Most Democratic and Independent Women voters and many Republican women, however, are likely to retain their red hot anger about this confirmation farce now and in 2020. As will millions of women who actually respect women.
The GOP is going to pay a price for this political travesty with Kavanaugh and it is going to be enormous.
11
These are scary times for the Republic. In fact, there are so many divisions running throughout our society at the moment, that it's hard to imagine how this country will ever come together; especially since the president's hand, which is supposed to guide us through this mayhem, is the main source of all the dissension.
Whether it's Republican vs. Democrat, Conservative vs. Liberal, Male vs. Female, Black vs. White, Rich vs. Poor -- we've become a battleground of ideas and ideologies that consistently clash.
That's why it's clearly up to the MAJORITY of Americans to also have their voices heard, in an effort to save our country from the one-party rule which now threatens our very democracy and freedom of choice.
So, VOTE. Vote like the future of our Republic depends on it.
Because it does.
6
Why not imagine that a Kavanaugh confirmation will further incite turn out ?
4
Yesterday i watched the GOP senators of the judicial committee during their press statement .
What was notable ,is that they are predominantly elderly men of a conservative and privileged background, not one woman in sight ..
McConnell is presently speaking in the senate .His primary issue is re the principle that a man accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty and it follows that the actions of the Democrats was a politically motivated and personally directed (r BK ) rather then genuine objective concern .
Well Mr McC. this is not a court of law so presumptions re innocence /guilt etc do not apply .During the original hearing and in conversation with numerous Dem senators ,Kavanaugh was evasive and refused to answer appropriate questions on a number of issues claiming "hypothetical question" and previous precedent etc
There is no Legal Precedent in this job interview and why Democrats did not stop and correct BK re this evasive tactic .bewilders me . If anything ,the Democ. Senators were ridiculously tolerant .so to say he got a hard time is quite silly .
What is notable about BK is that he is most certainly not his own man .. he is a Frat man ,a team man , a party man and most certainly an owned Trump boy.
is Bret Kavanaugh the absolute choice of the American people ?
Most certainly not because the mechanisms of the US constitution mean the the majority of American citizens are not fairly represented by the 2 senator state system ..
7
The comment about getting our country back is puzzling.
To whom does this country belong? Only those on the far right or does it belong to all?
As Americans we have more in common with one another than we have differences. We have the same desires for our families and our future. No political faction owns us nor do they own our future. Subsequently no political faction has any right to dictate to the rest of us what that life and future may be.
What is the far right afraid of?
11
It is not reasonable to trap an animal into a corner without expecting to be bitten. With death threats hanging over his family and the annihilation of his reputation hanging in the balance I can not imagine any other reaction. Judge Kavanugh is human and I applaud his temperament.
5
@Charlie Interesting. He has everything to gain and his accused had everything to lose. Yet she did not show anger or spew venom during her testimony. Kavanaugh, a christian, did not follow Christ's example when he was falsely accused.
9
@Charlie - Brett Kavanaugh could have spared himself all this by simply requesting an FBI investigation into the allegations. Right?
4
@Matthew S
He was not falsely accused; Judge is hiding so as not to testify as a witness to the assault; dozens of women victims want to testify on her behalf; over 1,000 law professors have signed a Statement on her behalf. That would be highly unusual for an accused in any forum.
You want to fire up all women, regardless of party affiliation?
You want to fire up all decent human beings still left in this country?
You want to fire up the Democratic base, the independent middle and the remaining Republicans with a conscience?
Here you go. Show them Orren Hatch waving "buh-bye" to a group of upset females and then telling them to come back when they grow up.
I would like to thank Mr. Hatch for literally taking this independent and properly indoctrinating me into the Democratic party for life. I would like to thank him for showing me what hate literally feels like--can't say I ever truly felt it before.
My anger is volcanic, monumental, borne of despair but determined to be heard here, on my FB page, through my civic word, through my friends and in every vote I cast from here on end until the day I die.
28
A news and political tactics thread worth watching, regarding the upcoming elections, is the Trump & Pence allegations that China is hacking the midterms.
While plausible, the allegations provide cover for a GOP loss in the midterms and claims of "rigged results". Trump has been free with "rigging" claims in the past, when they suited his agenda.
1
In the end, the only real motivator the Republicans ever have is fear of the 'others'. In this case it is the Democrats and their opposition to Mr. Kavanaugh. The GOP has also been dishing out fear of trade, or immigrants or any number of things.
Rather than rallying their supporters around the economy, it has to instill divisiveness and fear. That appears to be the only hope left for the Republicans to save the Senate in November.
9
I just cannot consider the anger over Kavanaugh being made uncomfortable with serious questions that pertains to his character showing any serious thought. It’s mindless us versions them tribalistic reflexive behavior, intended to threaten people into backing down to them.
4
Law enforcement used to be taught why domestic violence calls were so dangerous to police. There is a ‘perpetrator-victim-rescuer triangle’ where roles shift so quickly that the rescuer police would in a flash be perceived as perpetrator and then become a victim seemingly because of the intervention.
DT and the GOP appear to have ignored professional caution and successfully angered themselves and their base by being angered at being accused and are convinced that is they, (not the survivors of actual violence), are the true victims of some sort of perceived assault on their character and process by the light shed on Kavanaughs damaged character.
So now DT claims to be the ‘victim’ of his 19 survivors and all men ‘need to be careful’ of being accused (caught) for their own sexual violence.
This is also the reason the abused survivors stay quiet as they convince themselves that the situation is their own fault because they upset or angered the abuser.
Ask yourself - who is the victim and who is the perpetrator in your own understanding of this situation? Who needs to be detained or restrained in order to assure their safety and the community?
6
How convenient that Conservatives seem to have forgotten about a man named Merrick Garland. Let them throw their toddler-like tantrums because the rest of us are angry at what a joke they have made out of our country. Hopefully the polls prove just how angry the rest of us truly are...
18
@Kait W
No one forgot about Merrick Garland. Obama didn't fight for him so he didn't get on the Court. Can't blame that on Republicans can you?. Obama had options, he chose not to use them for political reasons. He made a Calculation. He calculated wrong as he often did but he made a deliberate choice not to fight for Garland.
1
@GregP It absolutely can be blamed on the Republicans. President Obama nominated Garland at the suggestion of GOP leaders. The GOP Senate refused Merrick Garland for no other reason than they wanted to wait it out and see if they could retake the presidency (which, unfortunately, they did) in order to put their favorites on the Court. They gave no reasons for their dismissal, just a big old no. At least the Democrats gave a plausible reason why Kavanaugh should be disqualified. How exactly was President Obama supposed to "fight" when the GOP refused to even consider a candidate that they suggested?
The GOP's fake anger over the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh seems outrageously funny compared to the Dems' justified anger over the GOP's treatment of Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland. But there have been so many low points in the GOP's enabling of their Russian-sympathizing leader that I'm sure we have not yet reached the lowest of the low yet. Every day seems to bring a new low for Trump, McConnell, Graham, etc. etc. etc.
16
Yes, it’s firing up anger on both sides. Who could possibly have been more successful at dividing America than Judge Kavanaugh!
4
"The increasingly aggressive attacks on Judge Kavanaugh’s main accuser and the dark warnings about Democrats from his supporters are part of an effort to harness Republicans’ outrage over what they see as a Democratic plot to steal a pivotal Supreme Court seat."
That's rich, after McConnell stole the nomination of a twice-elected (electoral and popular votes) President because Mitch thought "the American people should have a say". So Mitch sat on that nomination for nearly a year, not doing the job a Senator's oath should mean gets done, which is to vote on a President's nominated judges.
He could have put it to a vote, and rejected the nominee. No, he hijacked the process instead. And now they're bawling like they don't have a big long list of other conservative nominees that could go instead of Kavanaugh.
Democrats stealing a nomination? That's rich.
8
The NY Times has investigative reporters.
Perhaps they could be tasked to find voters who are simply evaluating things on their own - without being "stoked"
Surely, there are some to be found - it would be refreshing to hear their point of view.
2
@Maurice Gatien I think it's important to realize the power of propaganda. There is no doubt that Fox News is a propaganda machine. What is the only TV show the president calls into? Fox and Friends. What network did Kavanaugh choose to receive softball questions and kid-glove treatment about his accused assault? Fox. When major news comes out that is negative about Trump, which news station ignores the news completely? Fox. The far-right radio personalities also constantly spread propaganda. If you want to see some good investigative reporting, read the Times report on Trump's family finances. It includes original documents and was so detailed that the authorities are able to use it as evidence to look into possible fraud.
5
@Matthew S - In film of the event, Fox also obligingly deleted the laughter that greeted Trump's embarrassing and absurd boasts before the UN. Those of us who receive our news from actual news organizations saw what really occurred - the entire world laughing at Donald J. Trump.
These right-wingers, who are upset about the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh, are paid shirt-wearers and sign-holders that are paid professionals being funded by Donald Trump.
10
@Irwin Hewitt
I believe the GOP would call them crisis actors, no?
And while Brett Kavanagh , in his completely unhinged performance last Thursday was whining about Democrats spending money to keep his nomination from being confirmed , he of course never mentioned anything about the millions of dollars that the NRA has spent to back this man who in his moment on the world stage, showed himself to be temperamentally unfit for a seat on the highest court of the land. Of course he apologized for his behavior in the Wall Street Journal, no doubt an action that was prompted by the White House.
How's the rage working for the GOP now ?
Seeing that this may be the only thing they have left, it's pretty pathetic.
Aren't we tired of seeing the country run by a bunch of grumpy old men who remain continuously out of step with the voice and the needs of the people?
9
@RD
I think Orren Hatch might be old enough to have helped bring about the first Senate.
The problem with this nomination, and its aftermath, was the human element, of each person involved coming at this from their own goal, Ford, Feinstein, Kavanaugh, and the other women, and men who talked about Kavanaugh from decades ago. If even one of them was thought to have made up allegations(Julie Swetnick), or had partisan interests, it just ramped up the outrage on both sides. I believe we are further away from ever seeing the truth on most issues again, and having common ground than ever before.
4
@MaryKayKlassen
We Americans share acres of common ground across the country; that is the ground we all stand on. We see truth on most issues, every day; lies on important issues are called out, every day. When it matters, as it has done in times of war, we stand together in support of our men in service, regardless of how we feel about a particular war. We are tribal, as are most nations; we will fight amongst ourselves, and we will stand together when our nation is under attack.
How can we keep our country moral, decent and honest? How can we protect our little children? How can we stop promoting indecent and immoral lifestyles to the rest of the world? Simply put God back into the equation.
Whether republican or democrat, male or female, Christian or atheists, if what we think, say, or do is decent, moral and right...then it comes from God. If what we think, say, or do is indecent, immoral and wrong then it does not come from God. You can only lie to yourself and others, but not to God. This may be why separation of church and state exists. Blessed be those that believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1
@manoflamancha - Challenge: point to a single Republican holding public office who believes in the separation of church and state.
@manoflamancha
Here's a news flash: the Founding Fathers were products of The Enlightenment; they were rationalists; they did not all believe in God; they believed that all men were created equal, including non-believers. "In God We Trust" did not start with them. Not all Americans attend church on Sunday. We have no State religion; we have freedom of religion; we are free to choose to believe or not to believe.
The three branches of government are now fully aligned against what equates to more than half the population. It's obvious the GOP just does things to annoy that half of the population. It's government by spite. History will not be kind to these despots.
3
Re Mitch McConnell's recurrent whining about how the Democrats are trying to "destroy the life" of Judge Kavanaugh, who already has a "for life" appointment as a circuit court judge at a currently $220,600 annual salary. McConnell evidently is out of touch with how many Americans would love to have their lives "destroyed" like that.
9
I don't "hate Trump." I feel sorry for Trump, because he obviously has a giant hole in his soul that he tries to fill with money, power, and lies.
What I hate is what Republicans and Trump are trying to do up the country that I love.
Trump always puts his own interests above the interests of We the People. You cannot listen to him speak and actually believe otherwise. That is not his job. Everyone let's their personal interests get in the way of their work occasionally, but Trump is unable and unwilling to even pretend that he doesn't think that We the people are his personal servants. He doesn't know that president is not king. He even said that we should "sit in attention" for him with "fervor" like the North Koreans do.
This nomination is a perfect example of Trump putting himself before the people. There are lists of hundreds of possible appointees for him to choose from.
Trump specifically made this nomination because Kavanaugh has said that a president can only be investigated by Congress, and because he has an overly expansive view of the president's power. Trump expects Kavanaugh to help shut down the Mueller investigation and help make him president for life. That is corrupt intent.
This fight never should have been about Kavanaugh. It should have been about Trump's fitness for office and his corrupt intent in making this nomination.
Anyone actually qualified to be on the Supreme Court would refuse a nomination from this corrupt president.
33
Who stole what from whom? President Obama nominated a qualified candidate for the supreme court, and Mitch McConnell obstructed it from getting to the senate. As promised when President Obama was re-elected, the Republican mission would be to obstruct the president at every turn. He was successful, and now the McConnell choir blames Democrats for being obstructionists. Partenship aside, most Americans want wise men and women on the supreme court. Is that asking too much? Republicans are uniting the majority in opposition to them. That is the only thing I find encouraging about the impact of this administration.
16
@Terry Huff - Obama did nominate a qualified candidate for the supreme court (Merrick Garland), and Mitch McConnell did obstruct it from getting to the senate. That was a sad performance by the senate and in no way comports with "advise and consent" responsibilities. It actually happened to hundreds of nominees during Reagan's second term when the democrats controlled the senate. That's politics.
But Obama's nominee, the Republicans did not launch a public war of personal destruction against Garland as democrats have done with Brett Kavanaugh. That is makes this worse than McConnell's pocket veto of Merrick Garland.
Exactly what treatment of Kavanaugh is the Right whining about?
The guy's behavior during the Senate hearing, if you insist on describing the proceedings as a hearing, which I don't, was that of a petulant child in tantrum.
I cannot imagine why anyone would believe anything he says.
And reading his numerous Appellate Court decisions, I would not trust him with anything, let along the fate of anyone coming before nation's Supreme Court.
54
@wm.h.evans. How quickly Democrats abandon the allegation of Dr Ford. Nobody will stand up for her 3 weeks from now. They will all say it doesn’t matter if her allegation was actually true. So predictable.
2
Grizzle says:
Kavanaugh will be appointed to the Supreme Court; however there will be a challenge to Rowe vs. Wade and he will write a decision taken from "The Handmaiden's Tale," which he took to be a blueprint to a better society. Then, Trump will be unsuccessfully impeached mostly due to his decision based on Rex autem super lege, which no Republican will understand and cheer while Trump takes away their social security and Medicare. Since there will be no election in 2020, SCOTUS will finally come to their senses and try to adjudicate us back to democracy; at which point they will all be imprisoned, along with their families. Kavanaugh will learn to make beer illegally in prison and turn the whole prison experience into something very close to a drunken Yale frat party.
8
Come on people, it’s so obvious ... trump is panicking. He desperately needs Kavanaugh on the supreme court because of the judge's view that a sitting president cannot be indicted, to wit his words: "the country loses when the President’s focus is distracted by the burdens of civil litigation or criminal investigation and possible prosecution.” It’s a tacit assertion that the President is therefore above the law. It could well be trump's "get out of jail" card against the Mueller investigation. This unprecedented judicial positioning actually taking root in the nation's highest court is not only insidiously ominous but frankly a current and present danger to democracy worldwide.
23
Republicans were lethargic and divided one month ago.
The Democrats’ overreach with Brett Kavanaugh has now united and energized Republicans.
Once again, Democrats are working overtime to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
37
@John
Exactly. Feminists have many legitimate goals, but the MeToo Movement has a dark, vengeful side that turns off many voters. Its excesses are exactly what the Democrats don't need. The people who disliked Hillary Clinton may stay home again if Democrats can't focus consistently on a more positive vision on issues (health care, social security, income inequality, climate change) that concern everyone, not just the upper class. They've got to turn their tactics around.
2
This was not “Democratic overreach.” A patriotic woman came forward to her congressional representative stating that a Supreme Court nominee sexually assaulted her. If there was overreach, you need only look at and listen to the vitriol, obfuscation, and slime-filled machinations of the Republican senators who will stop at nothing in order to get their way. Vote in a November.
1
@John, yes, it is a stark difference between a party that has voters who hold them accountable for their voting record and behavior outside of politics and a party whose voters only care about how their party votes. I could never vote for a man who bragged about being a sexual predator just because his policies fit my political agenda.
2
Who thinks the Senate, about to appoint a proven liar, political partisan, and intemperate rube to the Supreme Court, against the recommendation of over 3000 law professors, will show an iota of respect for Roe v Wade?
In the week the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to two persons fighting against sexual violence as a weapon of war, the Senate has turned sexual violence into a weapon for power.
Eleven white men in committee had tantrums, one announced as a "single white male."Collectively they used women as beards, blamed victims, blocked the calendar and the beer drinking age perjury, remained silent as Trump mocked a courageous survivor, choosing her most painful moment/self-absorbed boys laughing. The Senate silenced women's voices who had the audacity to break the silence on sexual violence. In the face of a million stories from decades ago, the Senate told the world their fear was for men.
The Senate is the jury that votes, 51 wins. To win, they put blame above facts, expediency above patience, and a sham review over due process. You think they really care about the country?
35
When we talk about anger towards Washington - the timing of this interview was unusual. On TV was Larry Summers - ex Secretary of the Treasury. Offering up negative opinions on President Trump and all things Republican. This is the same fellow - who when involved in the Administration at Harvard - offered up the opinions that 1. Women aren't willing to put in the hard work that men do to be truly successful and 2. Men are more disposed to be geniuses. Wow. since he is a Democrat, I guess we are to assume that he has been redeemed and now knows better. Much like Keith Ellison - there is more leeway with Democrats. After all, it's OK for a potential State Attorney General to be accused of physical abuse. Boys will be boys, after all
2
@Jim Baugh It is understood that we can't throw stones in glass houses. But, that doesn't make the argument for the GOP, and what they are currently doing, justifiable.
3
@LB Agree and understand At the same time, we should not condone unacceptable behavior from anyone. one of the things stoking the current rampant ill will is the hypocrisy of crucifying one person and blowing off another. Kavanaugh's accuser is right by default and Ellison's is ignored. Trump condemned for his attitude on women and Summers treated with respect At some point, it has to cut both ways
The 'Electorate' often complains that the Democrats do not talk about their policy issues. But I say that the Republicans manufacture wedge issues and smears that steer elections away from policy, because the Republicans do not want to address what their policies are. And they surely don't want to allow air time for Democrats to talk about health care or income inequality.
So here we are, barely a month away from the mid-terms and what are the Republicans talking about? Democratic plots in order to get the Republican base fired up.
This has nothing to do with long term governing of one of the largest, most complex countries on earth. No, it's all about turning out their base, based on their fevered imaginations. And since the Republican tax cuts aren't popular and their continued attempts to eliminate health care is also unpopular, what's a party like the Republicans to do? Strike fear and resentment in their base. That's all they have. So when people want this country to run like a business, here we are: governing quarter by quarter.
11
@JD Ripper
I lived and worked in CT when the Saudi pilots flew into the Towers; the early news showed clear skies; planes invaded prohibited air space and flew right down Broadway; the military jets in NJ never got off the ground, so there was no interception. Arab men were shown boarding planes in NJ; they were identified, then that news disappeared. Bush had many rich Saudis as friends; he grounded all flights except for those which flew Saudis out of the country from FL. That was news in real time; the news eventually reached the edited stage. So it went.
1
This entire ordeal has fired up Republicans like Garland's situation did Democrats. Two sides moving farther apart and each has a good, strategic reason to do so, played properly to their constituents, which ensures that'll bipartisanship is as good as dead.
I'm satisfied with Kavanaugh and tolerating Trump, McConnell, etc. gets easier every day as the Dems continue to sink to new lows.
4
@LR
The bottom was reached when McConnell refused to give Merrick Garland a Hearing. Posters in favor of Kavanaugh always forget the Garland low. Can you explain that 12 mo. plus delay? You have a lot to say about the "unfair" treatment of Kavanaugh; please explain Garland and Mitch McConnell.
1
@LR
Lol, more fantasy from Republicans.
The problem with the Democratic Party is that it keeps trying to be reasonable and compromise with a party that openly calls compromise evil and a sign of weakness to be exploited.
In response to Hillary Care, Newt Gingrich offered a Heritage Foundation Healthcare plan. Then Mitt Romney implemented it in Massachusetts. Then Obama proposed your plan for the whole country and you attacked your own plan as radical socialism run amok, and kept trying to repeal it.
Mitch McConnell openly said that for party would block everything that Obama tried to do and were successful in making the recovery from your Great Recession take years.
I hate the Clintons because everything they did was Republican policy.
NAFTA was a Republican Pan that Bill had to twist Democratic arms to pass.
Three Strikes leading to mass incarceration of minorities was supposed to prove Democrats were tough on crime.
Clinton expanded the drug war as you demanded.
Hillary voted for Iraq.
Democrats voted for Bush's tax cuts for the rich.
Republicans wanted to attack Khadafi for decades. Hillary did regime change in Libya.
Democrats keep bending over backwards to compromise with Republicans, while you attack the plain meaning of the Constitution, and you just get more extreme.
And the more power.you gain the worse things get for the American People, but you blame Democrats for the results of your policies and they let you.
Stop lying to yourself and others.
why aren't there any complaints about the treatment of the victim? the mocking by DJT? Oh, right, I forgot, he can't do anything wrong.
So very, very sad, that many in our great nation has lost all compassion.
18
@Sally McCart the victim was a female & therefore inferior to the white men running the country. She doesn't matter. We need to remember but to these people running the country we don't matter to these old white men who have lived past their usefulness. Vote Them Out!
2
Back in the early days of the feminist movement, there was a slogan that went something like, "Men of quality aren't afraid of women's equality."
It's still true. The fans of the current Republican president whom I have met have been mostly ignorant men who are disappointed in their lives. They're not necessarily poor, just not as financially secure as they expected to be, and they're angry. Along come the Republicans to tell this uninformed demographic that their problems are the fault of immigrants, African-Americans, unions, especially unionized teachers; GLBT people, and especially, uppity women, all of whom have declared "a war on white males." I'd almost feel sorry for these guys if they weren't so snide and mean.
The men of quality that I know--and it's the majority of men that I know--are not fans of the current Republican president. They take responsibility for learning about the issues instead of just accepting whatever pours out of the AM radio speaker.
By the way, it may come as a surprise to women who read The New York Times, but there are women who are single-issue voters on the subject of abortion. They are capable of great sentimentality when it comes to "the poor little murdered babies" and have no sympathy for the pregnant women who "shouldn't have been sleeping around." I bet they're a large part of the women who voted for Trump.
46
@Pdxtran There are also a lot of women, and I mean a LOT of women, who are single issue voters on the subject of abortion - as in, you don't stand for protecting my right to choose and my bodily integrity, you don't get my vote. Ever. Period. Full stop.
3
@Pdxtran
Somehow they have managed to conflate abortion with "murder" with no opposition. Legal abortion is within the first trimester; there is no "baby"; there is an embryo, not a fully formed baby. If we accept their definition of murder, imagine what they might say about miscarriages: caused by an unhealthy life style, or drinking, or . . . Abortions after the first trimester are done to save the life of the mother who hoped to carry a wanted child to term; it is a tragedy for her, and her family. Where do these women get the time to stand in front of PP clinics and scream epithets at those entering or leaving? Are they unemployed with no productive volunteer activities on their calendars?
4
@Linda Miilu - Every anti-choice Republican who talks of abortion will use the terms "children" and "babies" and "murder," thus invalidating their entire argument. We wouldn't have to take seriously people this ignorant if not for the fact that they elect politicians who are willing to exploit their ignorance in exchange for political power.
Governing by egregious lies must stop. I saw a man who did not answer questions when asked directly multiple times. There were answers that were proven to be lies with documented records. His body of work was cherry picked by a partisan lawyer who the White House chose.
The whole process was lacking in integrity. There were moments of showboating on the left including questionable timing of information. I saw no "vicious attacks" on Mr. K. I did see one from him. The majority showed no interest in doing their job. The truth was not important. I struggle with the hypocrisy with the MMc calling foul. His choice to hold the prior Presidents pick for 10 months was unprecedented and egregiously unethical. That anyone does not see this as shocking or see it as a "good move" by the majority, is extremely alarming. I know that both sides have had their share of ethical lapses, but the right has no interest in keeping the process of governing within the bounds of respect and order. This is critical to unite us as a country so that we trust them and the process. With Mr. Trump, there is no sign of governing with integrity in service to all. His lies are innumerable.The primary goal is to take and hold on to as much power as possible at all costs. The right is running a raw power grab. Sewing division of the people with lies, is designed to make that happen. This is dangerous. All of the lies must stop.. The right has abandoned the truth, our Democracy and the people in it. VOTE
28
One man's "plot" is another man's "strategic political move." Regardless of how it is characterized, the facts clearly point to an intentional move on the part of the Democrats to play with the information they had and time its disclosure so as to buy time and make a public spectacle of the process, while, in the meantime, lives are seriously upended - on ALL sides. I say this as a registered Democrat since 1976 (although I will soon be switching to Independent). Whether or not one agrees with the suitability of the candidate, the manner in which this process has been handled is atrocious - and counterproductive, for the Dems - once again - have thrown red meat to the lions who will probably devour them.
5
@Mike
It was leaked at just the right time, instead of divulged confidentially to the other members of the Committee, and there could have been a confidential investigation with both Democrats and Republicans.
@Romeo Salta
So, you have decided to throw away the one real power you have: the power of the vote. Do really believe that Independent votes are given to either Party at the end of the day?
2
Over the past year, I've read more than a few opinions from people who voted for the current occupant of the White House, have come to regret it, and are now ready to vote for candidates who yearn to represent working Americans.
I think I understand the anger of people who lost their jobs to globalization, have seen their home towns wither, and fear that their children and grandchildren will be worse off than they were. I understand that millions of people voted for a change agent out of desperation and fear.
Okay. You made your point. Now we all have to pull together to fix the worse mess we're in. Isn't it time to think of our country again for all our sakes?
Look around and see who is running for office who will truly represent working Americans. Donate a few bucks to their campaigns, man a phone bank, and encourage your family and friends to vote next month for people who will unite and govern rather than divide and rule.
12
@Alexander Harrison - Are you aware that, in less than 2 years, Trump's GOP has added over $4 TRILLION to the deficit through their "tax cuts"? Are you aware that over the next two years Trump's GOP intends to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to "pay" for those tax cuts? Are you aware that stealing over $4 TRILLION from our country is going to result in a devastating recession? Are you aware that your "president" defrauded America and Americans (including you and all other Trump supporters) of $400 MILLION in unpaid taxes? Do you think your time might be better spent by something other than attending Trump "rallies"?
This ought to be simple, regardless of his political leanings and alleged but still unproven high school and college conduct, he openly lobbied for the job on his favorite partisan news outlets. If him signaling in advance from those news outlets who he will be ruling for, is there anything worse in the performance of his potential new job that would make him a worse candidate
6
You guys just keep doing it to yourselves.
3
@Richard Luettgen
Sadly that is true. The Democrats are no match for Republican levels of partisanship and placing the interests of their patrons over that of the country.
5
@Pat
Undoubtedly why their influence on our governance is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
And you guys just keep jumping on top of women. I’ll take this side, silly as it sometimes is, on the grounds that knowledge, decency, and some sort of interest in the country (as opposed to fascination with the wealthy) are to be preferred.
3
Republicans will soon have close to 60 Senate seats and will be able to quickly confirm replacements for Breyer and Ginsburg when they finally step down.
1
Turnabout is fair play. Democrats have been stoking resentment and anger among their base ever since Trump was elected. The Times itself has ramped up the anti-Trump and anti-Republican rhetoric with front page after front page columns and opinion page rantings. The excoriation of Judge Kavanaugh by The Times and Democrats without one scintilla of proof to substantiate claims of any sexual attack is proof enough that the left has perfected thwe art of character assassination. No wonder that Republicans and conservatives are ticked off. We are tired of being kicked around because of our political and social values, and we are not going to take it any more.
7
@paul: Nobody needs to "stoke" my anger and resentment, because I'm an informed voter who does not want to give any more power to the current incarnation of the Republican Party, which has become reactionary and seems to want to undo all the achievements of the twentieth century.
6
@paul
Listening to Trump lie, insult, and trash the Constitution makes me angry. Hating Trump would be a waste of time, but he does stoke my anger.
(And any of you Democrats still falling for these manipulative pathological attacks, where they try to play on your sense of fairness, while they cheat, really need to work in your self esteem.)
1
Mr. Trump said “the PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians”.
Absolutely right, that's why we didn't vote for you. That's why you lost the popular vote. That's why Gorsuch was confirmed by senators representing only 53 million votes versus those opposed representing 73 millions votes (read Michael Tomasky's piece in todays paper). The people didn't want Trump for president. The people didn't want Gorsuch on the Supreme court. The people don't want Kavanaugh. But it doesn't really matter what "We the People" want.
We have a 2 party system that is heavily biased to the side that does not represent the will of the people, in other words, we've got little choice and no real voice. The veneer of legitimacy, gold plated but covering something really tawdry, that's how I would describe all three branches of government today.
8
Sending law enforcement agencies to investigate credible claims of sexual assault by a man who may sit on this nation's highest court, thus delaying his nomination proceedings by a week or so: apparently, totally unreasonable.
Setting democratic norms and manners on fire by simply refusing to consider the nomination of the both supremely qualified and ethicially spotless Merrick Garland, as a court seat sits vacant for over a year: apparently, absolutely fine.
But of course, it's the Democrats who are politicizing the courts.
46
As an independent I find both parties at fault for making the confirmation process brutal. Judge Kavanaugh treatment was horrible but judge Kavanaugh went a bit too far in defending himself by attacking Clintons. In the end judge Kavanaugh deserves to be confirmed as the 11th hour 7th FBI investigation of his background check came out squeaky clean. There were no questions that he was one of the most qualified judges in the country and he was thoroughly vetted . To not confirm him after all this drama and unfair uncorroborated accusations will be a travesty of justice for the supreme court nomination process.
8
None of that is true. Trump wants him on when gamble vs the US goes before the Supreme Court so trump can pardon himself at the federal level and not be charged in the state level
9
@Girish Kotwal Over 1,700 law professors found “squeaky clean” Kavanaugh did not possess the temperament needed to be a justice in the highest court in the land. The ABA previously had strong opinions about his suitability. His behavior during questioning betrayed a lack of civility, a lack of decorum and not the actions and attitude one would expect of a justice for the Supreme Court of the United States of America. And no, he was not thoroughly vetted nor was the FBI “investigation” done at the request of Senator Flake a thorough one.
5
@Girish Kotwal He Lied in his hearings. That is what should disqualify him. He has been bought by someone to protect trump's hiney & to take away women's & minority rights. He Is Owned! No One But trump, mcconnell & gop wants him on court...the people are saying NO.
5
"Democrats 'don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,, Mr. Schlapp said."
"Innocent until proven guilty."
Um--"Lock her up! Lock her up!"
"'This process,' Mr. McConnell said, 'has been ruled by fear, and anger, and underhanded gamesmanship for too long.'"
Um--Merrick Garland.
I get that politicians and political actors often talk out of both sides of their mouths. But the GOP hypocrisy in this situation is truly breathtaking.
19
Who cares if Republican conservatives get angry? How about the rest of us, don't we have the right to be angry about how our democratic country has been betrayed by the so called patriotic Republican party?
24
You should care if you want to win elections.
The behavior we have seen since the start of the Trump regime is an enormous disservice to all
Americans. We must elect better leaders. Let’s talk about term limits for Congress and for the
Supreme Court. You do not need a lifetime appointment to be a fair and impartial judge- let’s go with one ten year term. In the meantime November is coming. Vote!
12
“Republicans perceive that Judge Kavanaugh is a man who has led an upright and honorable life, certainly as an adult, and feel like his reputation is being trashed and his nomination is being railroaded.”
Certainly as an adult, Christine Blasey Ford relives the fear and humiliation of Kavanaugh’s attempted rape of her 36 years ago. And certainly, by attempting to justify his crime and shield him from accountability, the reputations of Senate Republicans will one day join his - in the trash.
8
So many ignorant, jingoistic, easily gulled people. A sad failure of the education system.
20
I Stand With Merrick
32
Oh, please. The Democrats do not seek to use this to propel their own voters to the polls? Why is an action taken by the GOP sinister and reprehensible, and the same action by Democrats laudable? Only in NYT-Land.
4
Actually the article simply discusses the politics; the value judgment’s of your own devising.
1
From all the testimony we've heard from those who knew him back in the day, it sounds like Brett often had a hard time just standing up at all.
1
I'd say Republicans really must be scraping the bottom of the idea barrel if the only thing they've got to 'fire up' voters coming into the midterm is a SCOTUS nominee accused of sexual assault.
What's ultimately behind it is a now-tired and completely out of place platform. Republicans don't run on ideology anymore so much as they run on opposition to Democrats. It may have worked when Democrats controlled congress. It may have worked (though less effectively) when Obama was still in the White House. But, Republicans still just don't seem to understand that they're NOT the opposition party anymore. They're the GOVERNING party - or at least, they're supposed to be.
Now we the people must decide, do we really want to keep a governing party in power when they've clearly demonstrated that they do not understand or have any interest in the task of governing.
7
Max Sshlapp: Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,” --- Max must have been in the kitchen fixing another martini when he heard all the "lock her up" chants and was so far gone he thought the channel was on some Democrat's rally.
The Republicans are trying to bestow upon Bart Kavanaugh the same level of political importance that history assigned to Archduke Ferdinand.
Someone should tell them Bart was never on the original list Trump said he would choose from. There are other names on that list that would be much more palatable to the country at large, just as conservative, and who would make a fine Justice.
This is all about power. Raw power. And if they get their way Trump will have a green light to fire Mueller.
6
@medianone
Yes, Trump specifically picked Kavanaugh to help stop the Mueller investigation, which is a corrupt reason to pick a nominee.
TRUMP PICKED A JUSTICE
TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
2
Our country is being torn in two and nobody but our enemies will win. We are being pitted conservative against liberal, of color against white, man against woman and even fan against fan. Politicians who stoke and thrive off this divisiveness should be voted out as they are the enemies of our country. United we stand divided we fall and the rest is mostly noise.
5
Yeah, those poor men just can’t get a break in our society. Whomp whomp.
2
Understand the GOP's problem. As a party representing a diminishing minority of Americans, since Obama was elected the GOP has created or enhanced perceived threats to increase the percentage of Republican voters who show up at the polls. Combining the spinning up of their base with voter suppression, gerrymandering, and a system that favors rural states, the party has managed to hold on to power.
The GOP's original 2018 problem has been the absence of an issue that could drive Republican voter engagement. President Trump, whose political talents remain underappreciated recognized the Kavanaugh nomination as this year's best option and the Republican Party has picked up the message. Expect more "outrage" from GOP operatives as the election approaches - I am listening to Chuck Grassley's rant in the Senate as I write this.
In 2018, as an old sports broadcaster used to inveigh, "Folks, we've got a real barn burner!"
The Republican Senate holds confirmation hearings for judicial nominees of Republican presidents but not for those of Democratic presidents. That goes beyond simple hypocrisy. It's unconstitutional and they should somehow be called on it.
11
@Clark Landrum
The Democrats refuse to hold Republicans accountable for anything. Republicans blocked Obama's nominees, so Schumer fasttracked their nominees.
Republicans spent eight years treating a perfectly respectable and too reasonable president like a corrupt pathological liar.
Now Democrats are treating a corrupt pathological liar like a respectable and reasonable president.
Republicans pretend they have principles, while they lie and cheat to win elections.
Democrats pretend they have no principles, while they tell workers nothing can be done for them, and lose elections.
Democrats constantly attack the left for "identity politics," even though what the left is doing its fighting for justice by defending against Republican attacks (many violent) based on identity.
Now the Democrats are hoping the MeToo movement will stop this nomination. This is necessary because Democrats essentially surrendered in this nomination from the beginning, by constantly saying they don't have the votes to stop it.
The Republicans are attacking our Republic, and he Democrats are helping them by voting for their legislation and nominees!
No party will save us. Only We the People, by the tens of millions can save the Constitution, and save each other from the Party of Trump. I'm not saying don't for for Democrats, but I am saying voting for Democrats is not enough.
@McGloin
Obama should have asked that the Supreme Court intervene when the Republicans unconstitutionally refused to hold a confirmation hearing for Merrick Garland. The Democrats are passive. The Republicans are aggressive. That's why they win all the time.
The Republicans in Congress...and Trump and his rally mobs...have become Nazi storm troopers. What else can you call a Senate Majority Leader who accuses his colleagues of "conspiracy theories" when they exercise their constitutional duty to "advise and consent"? This is going to end very badly for OUR country unless the Democrats regain control of Congress and take back some state legislatures and governorships. We are looking at confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice who is an extreme partisan, who cannot truly perform his function because more than half the citizens of this country would not get an impartial decision from him.
4
For Feinstein, Harris, Booker, and Coons to parade a charlatan for the purpose of a character assassination is really unforgivable. The WaPo is just as guilty for this hit piece of poor journalism and vetting...more a National Enquirer-like smear than serious journalism. They could have easily contacted her partner of six years to know that she was not what she purported to be. To watch Warren rush to the camera and pump up these young women on a false accusation made me sick to my stomach as most decent people would be. Disgusting and totally disgusted!
3
I’m so tired of today’s America.
16
I feel like outrage and anger are the only things the dwindling GOP have left...
14
@NB
Dwindling? The GOP controls the WH, both chambers of Congress, and now the Supreme Court. Outrage and anger have worked spectacularly for them.
2
My response Merrick Garland.
25
Republicans will be damned if they do and damned if they don't. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of hypocrites.
6
@Christy
Republicans damned themselves when they voted for a corrupt pathological liar for president.
It is amazing that a party that stole a seat on the Supreme Court has the guts to pretend that Democrats are somehow being obstructionist. It is stunning that these people feel that it is their right to force an accused sex offender and partisan hack onto the court and to decry the majority of people opposed to their selfishness. But then again, GOP morality died when Donald Trump descended his gilded escalator.
196
@COgoeasMA "Partisan hack"? That charge has some validity. Kananaugh is more likely a high level lawyer using his legal skills and manipulations to achieve the same goals as a partisan hack, which is why he should never have been nominated. As for "accused sex offender", lets be fair. Anyone can be accused. We will never know all of the details of what went on 36 years ago. I accept that Blasey Ford had a traumatic experience, but is the new standard someone has to be able to prove innocence to escape any allegations made? How? A very difficult standard to achieve in a just society. Bill Clinton was trapped, somewhat, in the same dilemma in regard to allegations made about his conduct.
1
@COgoeasMA
I agree, but put the time of death at the uttering of the statement "our number one goal is to make Obama a one term president".
According to news reports The Con Don spoke to a crowd of under 6,000 in Mississippi. Television made it look like there was a huge packed crowd in the arena. There wasn't. Just another con. I'd like to know how many were paid to be there.
According to news reports Beta O'Rourke, who is running to unseat the despicable Ted Cruz in Texas, is pulling crowds of 50,000+.
The Koch brothers and their Robber Baron brethren and operatives inside and outside OUR governments have only one tool: hate-anger-fear-Lies,Lies,Lies-chaos-WAR. Their partners in democracy destroying are the catholic church, evangelicals and other supposed "christian", "islam" and other radical organizations who use the same tools to try to keep average people around the world under control. It's a centuries old game.
Time for it to end. NOW.
17
Well, the Republicans will get their wish as far as I'm concerned. I'm an angry Republican and I'll do my best to vote Lindsey Graham out of office when his time comes and vote other Republicans out of office too. If for no other reason, Kavanaugh's demeanor and his biased rants at the Senate hearing are enough to disqualify him. He is NOT Supreme Court justice material.
137
The shameful reality is that sexual misconduct should not be shaded in terms of liberal or conservative.
19
“This process,” Mr. McConnell said, “has been ruled by fear, and anger, and underhanded gamesmanship for too long.”
This from that snake McConnell, who denied Obama getting a Supreme Court justice ratified by refusing to vote on it. Underhanded gamesmanship my butt.
124
@Mgaudet He's absolutely correct. And he is the main perpetrator.
11
It's truly pathetic and extremely dangerous to our Democracy that Trump has inadvertently stumbled into the polarizing battle over white male power of all time.
Make no mistake about it -- Trump knew Brett was a bad boy, nobody could miss it, look at his yearbook page. That's a feature, not a bug, to Trump. Ditto the entitled white-male upbringing, and Trump has always had a thing about Yale.
Trump always works by maximum conflict. His entire election was the "you will lick our boot while we crush you" victory for the angry white right. He needed a supreme court justice that would deliver maximum wailing from the snowflakes followed by maximum gloating from his base. Winning is no longer about success, particularly not success achieved by quiet competence or compromise. Winning is hob-nailed boot on your enemy's throat, and then crush them.
One doubts any of the Republicans expected Blasey, though a sensible man looking at Kavanaugh's public history might have worried about it.
It was all on McConnell's path to smoothly confirming him even so, until Brett exploded in maudlin rage. On TV, under oath, he acted like a drunk, attacked members of the senate verbally, made ridiculous lies, engaged in wildly-partisan conspiracy accusations.
He now admits "he said things he shouldn't have said." Duh.
No matter, it could not have worked out better for Trump. Millions of angry white men get to rage about "false accusation" and identify with Brett as a "victim."
46
@Lee Harrison
Yes exactly. Even Kavanaugh's lying is a feature, not a bug.
They already say, the people voted for a liar, so they must want a liar as president.
Soon they will be saying the Senate confirmed a liar to the Supreme Court, so we must want liars on the court.
If we let the Party of Trump shred the Constitution, that boot on you're knack won't be metaphorical, and neither will that water be metaphorical and you panic from tree sensation of drowning. Trump said he would "bring back waterboarding or worse," and calls for violence against political enemies and the press.
Google the counts of "dissapeared" (which means tortured and murdered) human rights and union activists in South and Central America, for example. It runs into the millions.
If you want to see mass graves in the USA kei compromising with the Party of Trump.
Think I'm exaggerating? Do the research. Compare Trump to Sit American dictators: how they rise to per and what they did with it.
Came happen here? Are the Tulsa Massacre.
Hate, greed, and violence?
Or
Love, sharing, and peace.
Choose a side!
1
Think of that Grandfather we all knew; kind, gentle and a little gritty. He just about had "Republican" tattooed across his sun stained forearms. He knew guys like Brett Kavanaugh; guys who never once let up on the privilege of being white, male, rich, alpha and connected. Remember his wisdom, girded by the heart of a true conservative. He might be scared of a world that is changing faster than he can comprehend. Still, he would have none of this. He would be voting Democrat down the ballot for the rest of his days.
9
Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,”
Lock her up?
How is it that these people are so blatantly accusing Democrats of everything they did during the past administration and 2015's campaign?
I believe the words I'm looking for have been on display this week--entitlement; self-righteousness; obstruction.
What a basket of deplorable.
25
The GOP is going to get their wish, and it going to be a Tsunami of voters to vote them out of office because they are tone deaf to the abuse of women!
46
For the last decade, perhaps even a little longer I have been telling my friends that the Republicans worship a harmful kind of trilogy: Hate, Fear, and Anger. In fact, after the election of Trump, I wrote an article on my blog, "No Fear, No Anger, No Hate" promising to myself and encouraging all my readers, no matter how small, that I will not succumb to the deadly trilogy. My current beliefs are not fueled by hate, fear, or anger, and I trust many who are protesting this appointment are in the same mind. The nominee has shown a wealth of evidence why he does not belong on that bench. A very short while ago, another nominee went through the same process and the only conversation about him was that he was too conservative and there was no talk about his ethical stretches, his temperament, his untruths.
No, it is still the Republicans who push that trilogy forward: Hate, Fear, Anger. Don't give in!
26
@Cemal Ekin I agree. When they get so high and mighty and accuse the Democrats are being purposely obstructive, I'm not sure why they don't remember that the GOP did get one one of their nominees in. And there other candidates that can be considered. It's not a 'party' thing re Kavanaugh. It's him and him alone. He doesn't merit this lifetime appointment at all.
6
@Geneva9, after all the "misstatements," contradictions, tantrums, offenses against the Senators by not withdrawing his nomination he also showed a lack of judgment.
What a sad thing to say about a judge!
. . . Mr. Trump has been framing the midterm elections as “a vote to reject the politics of anger, destruction and chaos,” as he said in Mississippi on Tuesday. The only meaningful response to that framing at this time in history is to vote Democratic and end this long national nightmare.
22
GOP and Trump have opened my eyes to the real victim in our society: the white male.
I’m just heartbroken to learn what the white male has to deal with. First, somehow he’s not born into privilege like Trump and Cavanaugh. He doesn’t get rich from his own hard work, just richer from Daddy’s money. You’ve even taken away his narrative of a heroic journey!
Then, some woman attacks the white male because he’s successful. The con isn’t that women with their smaller frames were made to drink more alcohol than their bodies could handle, for the shame of looking uncool, in a culture where men defined what cool was in the first place... and that at least one in six women were sexually asssulted. “At least” because the number is vastly under-reported.
No. That’s not the con. The con is the 5% or less of the men are falsely accused of sexual assault. After all 5% for men is greater than 16.6% for women in white male victim math...
Accountability is for the rest of America..
GOP is aiming to rile up the white men to the polls. Creating this narrative of a war on white men. Aided and abetted by Fox News cronies like Tucker Carlson, Hannity and others like Limbaugh. They likely want to avoid the fate of fellow right wing loudmouth and bath robe king, Bill O’Reilly.
Hey, GOP. Enough with this farce. I grew up in the 80s but knew better how to behave. I fear no accountability from women. Neither should men with nothing weighing on their conscience, and those who believe in equality.
17
@Patrician
Dear "Patrician, but not a Patriarch",
Thank you and well said.
But I think even "5%" is too high.
The examples that are given are ones I remember from the early 80's or 90's.
For the young, that was an entire lifetime ago.
Where are the new examples?
And, thank you for bringing up Limbaugh. I remember when he called Fluke a "slut".
I couldn't believe it when he remained on the air.
What a creep!
The best to you!
3
@rosa
You don’t need to be a man to be a feminist ;)
I’d like more men to fight for the principle of equality than for preservation of their (privileged) status.
You’re likely right on the 5% being too high. I heard that stat on CNN. They probably got the denominator wrong. So, if it’s 5% of accused men that number will be 1% or less of all men (given the 1/6 women who report assault). Possibly even lower...
Let’s fight the good fight!
@rosa
To my earlier note:
I meant you don’t need to be a woman to be a feminist... damn autocorrect.
I based my opinion of Judge Kavanaugh on his performance at last week's hearing. However, I was hoping to learn more from the FBI investigation. I was disappointed that everyone who seemed to have known him at Yale or in high school didn't have a chance to be interviewed by the FBI. After hearing Trump at the rally in Mississippi attack the character of Ford, I was pretty sure that the FBI investigation would not be complete and thorough. All I can do is vote in November. I have written my senators and have voiced my opinion, but if they don't care or don't listen to differing opinions about their President and their nominee, all I can do is try to vote them out. I have said this a number of times, and am saying it again. This is not the Republican party of my father.
65
It will sap the energy much like passing the billionaires tax cut didn't work out the way it was supposed to. Both issues share a common root; they are not born of the majority. They stem from narrow interests that can only win through gerrymandering the democratic system.
21
Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, spoke to this sentiment on Thursday when he condemned the actions of activists he described as “rampaging through the halls, accosting members at airports, coming to their homes.”
No, Sen. McConnell, being "accosted" is what Dr. Blasey Ford was subjected to. What you were subjected to in the airport was the voice of the people, something you signed on for when you chose to become a politician in a democracy.
57
Yes, there are people out there that are terminally ignorant, who couldn't explain the difference between a "democracy" and a "republic" even if their life depended on it.
But that has little to nothing to do with being actually betrayed and actually diminished by one's country.
I watch the snippets of video from the trump campaign rallies and I study the faces of those around him. They know that the camera is on them every second. They KNOW it. But watch them carefully.
Where are they looking?
For the most part they are peering out at the audience.
They are not watching trump - they are hoping to receive hints from the audience on when to applaud, when to laugh, when to hold up the pre-approved corporate sign that they were handed after they took their seat.
When they receive their cues they lose their pensive, befuddled look: They laugh, they cheer, they hold up their sign...
And, within 10 seconds they are back to looking befuddled and unsure.
These are the people that are going to sustain their rage for longer than 10 minutes?
These are the ones who are going to verbalize the arguments?
Explain the history?
And here's the inside joke on them: The Federalist Society and the Heritage think-tank don't give a monkey's belch what happens to these people.
trump is a cult.
So is the Federalist Society and Heritage.
This is Jonestown and the kool-aid is ready.
Kavanaugh is just another sip.
If they see others drink, then they will, too.
That is "obedience", not "anger".
79
@rosa actually I think we are moving towards a corporate kleptocracy
3
Why do you think our anger had to be stoked? It was a witch hunt, pure and simple, it was highly partisan,and yes, we are angry about it. Charges were made which were impossible to prove or disprove, and now this man is forever tarnished and his family suffers too. What's not to be angry about?
4
@TrilbyCan If we're citing our reasons to be angry, that process should begin with Merrick Garland.
@Trilby
This man is hardly tarnished, his career and family are intact, he has his self-esteem and loft education and upbringing. He is fine. He would have been better off taking the high road and simply stating, "Her account of that party is different than mine and if she believes that this actually occurred, then I support a full criminal investigation since I have no recall of assaulting her and unequivocally deny her allegations." He should have ended it there and then opened up the questions and answered each one calmly and stating, when appropriate, that is outside of the scope of this hearing. This would have made him look non-partisan, impartial, balanced, not defensive, judicial, and maybe even worthy of a job for life deciding the fate of millions of US Americans. Instead, he went down the rabbit hole and made himself look angry, sad, juvenile, spoiled, and partisan. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to control himself under pressure. He's fine. What's to be angry about are the people who jump on his bandwagon and ignore the bigger issues.
6
“Your” anger? Does the name Merrick Garland ring a bell? It’s Karma.
3
Why oh why did Trump select Kavanaugh with his dodgy background when there must be many many other highly qualified conservative judges he could have selected for the Supreme Court. Was Trump just looking for a fight or did he owe Kavanaugh a favour? As we know Trump does nothing which does not directly benefit Trump and therein I suspect lies the answer. He 'owes' the religious RIGHT a big favour and Kavanaugh is that thank you.
13
@Dave Steffe
A> Trump and Kavanaugh are birds of a feather. What you see as faults for someone on the Supreme Court Trump sees as kindred spirit and beneficial.
B> Kavanaugh believed in, supported, and advocated for the infallibility and the Imperial Presidency before Trump came along and feels even stronger about with Trump in office.
C> Trump see B as a get out of jail free card. Worth just about any price.
5
@Dave Steffe
trump has already said that he has never known Kav The Caveman.
trump was handed a list, end of story. He knew none of them.
He was TOLD which one to pick, the one who would rid this world of Roe so this nation would have millions and millions of unwanted children that no one could afford, so that the minimum wage would never have to be raised because everyone would be desperate (thanks, Heritage, Cato and Federalist Society!) and. yes, this was a freebie given to the Fundie pastors to terrorize women.
And, incidently, men.
And, you are mistaken: There are no "better qualified Republican, conservative judges".
Kav IS the Crown of Creation.
All of the rest of them are just as creepy.
1
If recent events don’t motivate Democrats to get off of the streets and into the voting booths in November, the left deserves what the right has in store for it. Elections have consequences. VOTE!!
34
But registered Republicans are 28% of the electorate and falling while Democrats 39% and rising. Republicans are only one point ahead of independents who have risen to 27%. Even if Republican intent to vote is rising some to meet the Democrats', the numbers say they lose. I get that parts of the media want this to be a horse race for commercial reasons, but conflating their desires with reality is just a bit disingenuous if it doesn't point out these relevant facts.
23
@John Figliozzi
The GOP has waged a relentless 40 year campaign to nullify those numerical advantages through gerrymandering, voter suppression, and motivating their supporters with constant propaganda and stoking fear and anger as this article discusses.
Democrats have fallen way behind in the face of these efforts, and this is why Republicans control all branches of government despite receiving far fewer votes at all levels.
18
There are roughly 30 congressional districts that must flip in order to change control of the house.
These are competitive districts with about equal fractions of motivated voters on the Right and Left sides of the spectrum.
I think it is self evident that the outcome of these districts will hinge on the perceptions and turn out of independents and moderates.
6
I'm prepared to do my part. Where can I get a t-shirt that says: "I stand with Bart"?
8
@sgoodwin In a comic shop that sells The Simpsons items. Now if it's an "I stand with Brett" t-shirt, that would probably be the gutter.
5
Brett? Who's Brett? I'm talking about Bart O' Kavanaugh (R), who is currently standing for election to SCOTUS. And "I stand with Bart" sounded better than "I stand with Ralph".
This has become purely about tribalism. When else in their lives, do you think, the deplorables have so passionately defended an Ivy-league crybaby named Brett?
65
@AG
This word "tribalism" means nothing. It's a cliché
meaning the same as PARTY LOYALTY.
Nothing more. Little is new under the sun in U.S. history.
1
Matt Schlapp is simply a provocateur who revels in demonizing anyone to the left of his historical hero, Attila the Hun. He's one if the things that's wrong about the conservative movement and why it's gone so far off the rails. He and it have lost all contact with what America and it's ideals are all about. If he and his modern day hero, Trump, are permitted to continue their dissembling about those who dare to disagree with him unchecked and put aside the facts, we are definitely on the road to perdition.
16
It shows how out of touch the average Republican voter is. The idea they would be motivated to go out and vote over how Judge Kavanaugh has been treated is amusing. Kavanaugh is a corporate judge same like Neil Gorsuch. These two men don't care about the average American. They don't care about workers' rights. Just look at the recent lawsuit where a man went all the way to the Supreme Court arguing that as part of a public union he should not have to pay dues. The court ruled in his favor. So now if you belong to a public union you can opt out and not pay dues. That means you weaken the union. Less political clout. History shows that unions help keep wages up. The less unions there are the lower the wages are or they remain stagnant. For some reason the Republican leaders have convinced the average Republican that they don't need unions and that right-to-work states are great for them. In those states you can be easily fired. You have no rights. And when you reach a certain age good luck proving age discrimination if you are turned down for jobs. There is so much ignorance in this country in such a modern age it's a crying shame people can be so dumb. Yeah rush out and vote because you are angry that a corporate judge got a hard time during the nomination process because he feels he's entitled to that job regardless if he's an alcohol now. Most people who start drinking at a young age and still say at age 53 " I still like beer" most likely is an alcoholic and hides it.
44
@Wayne...… Your comment describes well how a great nation is coming under the bus. No interest in politics but a permanent engagement in drinking beer shapes the new citizen. Reading the others comments opens up a world of disappointment and laziness.
But to keep up democracy and a certain standard of civility in our society we all are being engaged to bring our society forward. You just can't step aside and say "let others do it".
Western Civilization has come pretty much to the brink of loosing its standards. This is really a pity, and we have to fight to survive.
1
Someone spent good money on a t-shirt to support a privileged elite who would probably sneer at the t-shirt wearer clothed in any other shirt? There is general male entitlement, and the wholly separate elite male entitlement.
Regardless of the vote outcome, the guy likely won’t wear the t-shirt again, but can use it to wash his car. At least $20 not spent on something worthwhile and wondering why he can’t get ahead. Maybe wash a few cars to recover that foolish expenditure.
28
It was the country, the Constitution and the Supreme Court that were abused. With Kavanaugh on the verge of being confirmed, it will be hard for the Republicans to stoke much anger, particularly anger that will last for a month.
Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court is a disaster for the rule of law, but it will stoke the turnout of progressives, women in particular, for the midterms.
8
@David Indeed it was. Unless somebody has the gift of time travel, (which, according to what I understand, millions apparently do), not one of us can ever say with certainty of Kavanaugh did what he was accused of. I can say, however, that all constitutional protections of innocent until PROVEN guilty, all due process, has been abandoned in the very process of confirming a Supreme Court justice. That is bigger than Kavanaugh, and far more troubling. Democrats don’t stand on the moral high ground any more than Republicans do.
1
@Nancy yes all due process has definitely been in question.This committee does not need to meet the standards of a court of law to serve its function to advise and consent a nomination for a Supreme Court Justice. However when information has come to light , that brings serious question, about his Fitness to serve, then due process should be followed, not a sham investigation, ignoring at least some potential witnesses including the principals, on both sides. Dr. Ford was treated as egregiously as Dr.Anita Hill, and by some of the same senators as 30 years ago. She was placated and ignored , and this was witnessed by the all of the American people . Judge Kavanaugh should have supported a full investigation into these charges, and kept his composure when asked reasonable questions about them by the Senate. He abdicated his responsibility as an officer of the Court to pursue due process ,to a senate majority on the committee, White House and unfortunately FBI, that was not inclined to do so.It is impossible to escape the conclusion that he feared revelations of facts that would not be positive to him , whether related to the allegations or other issues . He revealed himself as being hyper partisan, paranoid, disrespectful, rude and evasive and at times lying about easily verified facts. How can non partisans now ever trust him to be impartial when they come before the court ? He knew this, which is why he wrote his mea culpa opinion to the newspapers.
1
He lied under oath. What happened to their vaunted morality? What happened to being a small-c conservative? This confirmation is not careful, moral, prudent leadership. They need to start over and stop playing power games with our nation.
Being greedy is not the same as being conservative or being American.
12
@mjw As the article clearly infers, the politicians are more concerned about being elected than doing the right thing. They would put Putin on the court if it got them re-elected.
4
I would bet that most "angry" republicans don't have a clue as to how a Justice Kavanaugh might impact their everyday lives. Unless they are quite wealthy the odds are that they will be effected very negatively and they may never actually realize who did it to them.
36
@B Windrip
Not just that they won't realize who did it to them - they will wait to be told who. And like good little authoritarian pit bulls, when their masters present them with an enemy, they will turn all of their rage and aggression on that target.
3
I’m weary of recriminations over doing the right thing and voting against a dictator. Vote em out! I’m with Willie!
10
I have been independent for years now but seeing how the republicans lie cheat steal and disrespect anyone who thinks differently I’m believing it’s time to vote straight dems until all the republicans are either voted out or retire in my 60 years I have never witnessed such pure evil form one political party. The republicans are simply bad.
69
FoxNews is "two minutes hate". The hate is always stoked and ready to go. Injustice, scapegoating, unfairness, hypocrisy, anecdotal proof of all claims, dozens of smiling handsome and beautiful smiling conveyors of the arty line. Brett is installed, and more importantly state appellate courts are staffed with dark money, and will vote exactly as those who installed them want, give over mineral rights, duck pollution and health protections, worker's rights, and get on with the highest possible return on the dollar-- beyond what was legal. yesterday.
7
I will propel me for sure, and many other men I know....
1
I agree on some of the President‘s issues, I really do, but it’s the way he interacts with people that makes me want to vomit! Not only is he not a politician (not always a bad thing) but he clearly is not a gentleman and we deserve that as citizens of this country when it comes to the highest office in the land. This Kavanaugh fiasco is not really about morals or women’s unheard voices; it always was and it looks like it always will be about the concept that „our guy“ gets in this time because „your guy“ got in last time! Kavanaugh is just a name, any name. He could be a pet rock and it wouldn’t make a darn bit of difference! If you’ve scoured the historical blunder called video proof in the internet, you, of course, will have seen various expositions of democrat and republican posturing to get their candidates in or deny the other‘s candidate. No matter what the cost! You see, this time it’s no different. Every single republican congressperson goes home to their partner after “work“ and expounds that if anyone would touch their daughter they’d get out the shot gun! But back at work they clock-in like they’re from the Road Runner Cartoon and fight to get their man in, no matter what he did or didn’t do. When you tune-in to some news channels all you get is doses of McCarthyism injected directly into your veins! They don’t care either about decency. Wasn’t that the reason why America was supposed to he great in the first place? Common Decency?
8
"A Democratic plot to steal a pivotal seat...." Guess they're fine with what McConnell did regarding Merrick Garland. Words to describe these people and the GOP are not fit for print.
249
@susan
That's assuming there was no Ford with vaporware in his past, right?
Print? Seems they're unfit to even say! Last time someone used the right words, she had to apologize on her TBS show.
@susan Merrick Garland deserved a hearing imo. However, some historical perspective is worth consideration ..... "We should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court, except in extraordinary circumstances." Chuck Schumer in July 2007 ..... 19 months before the presidential election.
Here's why this strategy will backfire: Election day will be a solid month after Kavanaugh is confirmed. Mission accomplished for Republicans. How can they be angry when they won? Dems on the other hand will be furious and will remain furious. Senate elections? Please, they're going to tumble for Dems, including North Dakota. It's going to be a wipe out and this country will finally return to democracy and hold this immoral Bozo in the White House accountable.
79
@Schwartzy From your mouth to God's ears.
5
Republicans are angry even when they win. To look at the angry faces at the Trump rallies one would guess they are sick of winning.
1
. “Republicans perceive that Judge Kavanaugh is a man who has led an upright and honorable life, certainly as an adult * * *.”
The key phrase is “certainly as an adult” which qualifies everything said before. Add to that the obvious lies Kavanaugh told the Committee and the belligerent, insolence with which he told them and you have an unqualified candidate who has no business on the Court.
17
@EJS The male brain doesn't fully mature until about age 25 in most cases (you can google it), so yes, young men sometimes do stupid things that they would never, ever do as adults.
1
@Trilby I appreciate the comment and that could certainly explain his excessive binge drinking and other misconduct in high school and college. An excessive feeling of entitlement and privilege could also be a factor. Last time I checked, however, he’s now 53 years old. Is his male brain still developing?
2
@Trilby I'm so sick of rape apologists grasping at every possible straw to minimize and neutralize these allegations. "They didn't happ2n, and even if they did, rape isn't that big a deal."
1
What bias. I guess Dems aren’t working up their base at all.
5
Anger is the GOP's best tool to motivate low-information voters who otherwise have nothing to gain by Republican policies. It works because emotional and angry people turn out to vote to express that anger at the people they've been told are responsible for their troubles.
The Democrats, as usual, could learn from this.
89
@Pat
If you read Breitbart and its far-right ilk you know that these are not "low-information voters" but false information voters.
21
Mr. McConnell is correct. This process has been governed by fear and underhanded gamesmanship for too long. Since 2016. McConnell's refusal to even meet with Judge Garland is an enduring disgrace. One thing I have learned about people for who desire power beyond anything else is they tend to accuse those they have wronged of doing what they have done while ignoring or blatantly denying their actions. They fact that Republicans are accusing Democrats of trying to steal a Supreme Court seat is the definition of chutzpah.
85
Meh. Trump's "base" is always going to show up to vote anyway. Outside of those nuts, people actually think with their brains and, if they aren't already burned out from all of this madness (as I am) and actually show up, will likely as not split their vote.The rest of us are definitely going to vote and instinctively "pull the Democrat lever" without the need to ponder the circumstances.
18
Trump and his political pawns exhaustively rant and rage in futile efforts to gaslight millions of Americans who know that Brett Kavanaugh is unsuitable for the Supreme Court. Trump et al offer a toxic stream of relentless lying, distortion, denial and what are so obviously ultimate projections of their own weaknesses and failures. The current Congressional debacle is not about nominating a sterling man or woman of unwavering character and political impartiality for SCOTUS. Thinking Americans, though, aren’t fooled. This Republican circus is led by carnival barkers Trump, McConnell and Grassley to install on their rickety Republican roller coaster an obviously unsatisfactory nominee whose primary function will be to protect Trump at all costs. God bless America especially today.
15
"Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison,” Mr. Schlapp said."
What else should be done in a nation of laws, to a person who seems to have committed treason, engaged in very shady financial deals, serially stiffed people, defrauded students, committed tax fraud, paid off hookers, and broken laws for which ordinary people are often committed to prison?
Why do republicans love him, and want children in jail on the border?
Mr. Schlapp seems to suggest that a democracy should champion a criminal because he is promising the American Valhalla, a white christian nation where everyone else is subservient or at best plain tolerated, where women are subdued and without rights, is gutting the nation of its hallowed institutions like justice, education, and environmental protection, and now tampering with free trade with crazy tariffs (see the disaster of tariffs on aluminum, when we have a stockpile of half a million tonnes in aluminum ingots right here in Louisiana).
I am aware that the likes of Schapp find these propositions a deep opiate. But if this is a democracy and a nation of laws, then he should be laughed out of the public domain.
51
It's true many Democrats, myself included hate Trump, but it's not because he's a Republican and beat Clinton. It's because he's a deplorable human being and a disgrace as a president. This is all in addition to being just a plain crook. He's lived a life of luxury on the backs of the people he's cheated. Trump not only doesn't belong in the presidency he belongs in jail.
I am still puzzled why any rational thinking voter wants Trump to represent this country. I understand the anger with a government that seems only interested in their self interest, but Trump? He's the epitome of all that is wrong with this country and yes I look forward to the day he's impeached.
212
"hope to use the fervent liberal opposition to his nomination to the Supreme Court as a graphic example of the threat posed by a Democratic return to power"
They do.
They also use what they see as unfair and disrespectful treatment of Trump, and of themselves as Trump voters. That is real too, a real feeling, and with a real foundation (no matter what you actually think of Trump).
Republicans have a lot to use, and it should be no surprise they are using it.
5
@Mark Thomason. “...unfair and disrespectful treatment of Trump, and of themselves as Trump voters.”
Because they showed such a deep and abiding respect for Donald Trump’s predecessor, didn’t they?
Have you not read any of the books and reporting on the inner workings of this White House, and of Trump’s capacity to handle this job? Haven’t you paid attention to the confirmation that Trump himself provides to all the negative coverage on a weekly basis? Have you not listened to what comes out of his mouth, or watched any of the videos of his ugly campaign rallies?
Trump’s in the arena. He’s earned every bit of the opprobrium sent his way. His treatment by the media can only be deemed “unfair” when it’s proven to be false. Call us when that happens.
11
@NA -- "Because they showed such a deep and abiding respect for Donald Trump’s predecessor, didn’t they?"
And how did you feel about that at the time? Well now they feel the same way.
As for Trump's lack of ability, I said that. Yes. This is about the reactions of his followers.
Spin them up, and they'll turn out to vote. Ignore that, and be surprised. Again.
They're stoking anger among more than liberal Democrats. I'm a conservative former Republican who is angry about how McConnell has killed the Senate. First by not even permitting interviews with Merrick Garland two years ago, and now with cramming this undesirable nominee down our throats. This man may be qualified on paper, but he doesn't have the temperament or the interest in serving the law. He has his own agenda and. coincidentally, it's the same as McConnell's.
233
@DBA This whole process calls into question exactly what temperament is.
The temperament of the democrats and their hurled insults and accusations calls into question whether there should even be democrats in the senate at all.
1
@DBA - We may look at things with different perspectives, but I am grateful that you, as a conservative, are willing to stand up for what is right. I wish more (former) Republicans felt the way you did, instead of mindlessly following the party line. The Merrick Garland fiasco was a tragedy - an excellent centrist candidate chosen for his broad appeal, and stopped by Mitch McConnell simply because he could. And now we're likely to have Judge Kavanaugh on the bench.
3
I hope their fears are correct. Regime change is needed to save America.
13
Treatment? Kavanaugh showed us all his colors as a member of the true elite class in the United States. These are the elites we need fear, not the movie producers and newspaper men of Trump’s tales.
20
The absolute lack of conscience by the administration and its supporters is breathtaking! Democrats and liberals "stealing" a conservative seat? Republicans rallying around a liar and a sexual abuser, conducting meaningless investigations, ignoring witnesses and then claiming that there's no corroboration? Their tactics are a graduate course in political theft.
I pray that their calumny against Dr. Blasey and her supporters rains consequences down on them, and helps to end Republican control of the government.
26
How Kavanaugh was treated? Says it all about the GOP.
15
Leave it to the GOP to cynically stoke up anger amongst its “base” because there is legitimate opposition to a Supreme Court nominee who is utterly unsuited and is likely a sexual predator. Maybe next time Trump can nominate Harvey Weinstein, Anthony Weiner, and Roy Moore and use them as GOTV motivators.
26
Kavanaugh has been treated the way a nominee with a serious charge against him should be treated, despite the whining of conservative snowflakes. Gorsuch had no such problem because he faced no such allegation. A reasonable President would withdraw Kavanaugh from consideration and nominate the next candidate on the list supplied by the Federalist Society.
15
Mitch McConnell essentially lit the match that started this fire so its more than a little strange to see him railing against the process. The political environment in Washington today seems unsuitable for making lifetime appointments to the supreme court. There should be a timeout until they figure out how to do this in a more fair and civil way. Otherwise we will continue to get embittered and tainted appointments on the highest court in the land ... for life. I think we can all agree that we should strive for more than that.
33
Kavanaugh humiliated himself, and pretty much admitted so in a recent op-ed piece he wrote.
19
Just like the ads we have seen so far from candidates and PACS where we live, almost every Republican ad is an attack ad or a fear mongering ad while at least half of those from libertarian and democratic candidates have provided discussion of solutions to problems. Results may vary depending on where you live. Then again, we live in a purple state and red district that shows the Republican candidates falling farther behind and reeks of desperation.
15
The "Red Wave" GOP Trump base votes every election and for a straight ticket. Thier wave has been an effective ripple in elections with low participation.
They are a minority within an ever shrinking minority and will be overwhelmed by an energized electorate of reasonable people .
16
@rich Could be but not anytime soon. Get used to a conservative supreme court for the next 30 years.
@Charles in service,
Get used to losing your rights and a devastated environment. I hope you don't need Medicare or Social Security because they'll be gutted.
Diane saved the world! The perfect timing of Kavanaugh;s rape disclosure meant it got full bore attention focused only on the fact that Reps would place a rapist on the Supreme to overturn Roe and destroy all women forever. Now the women of America know where Dems and Progressives stand, and how they will do absolutely anything, as evidenced by the steps they took in both the pre and post rape hearings, to derail the Reps. All praise to Diane. She will be solely responsible for the upcoming election sweep by Dems, the simultaneous impeachment of Trump and Pense, and Nancy installed as our first female President.
1
Republicans now believe that anything a person does before the age of 23 is irrelevant if you are white. I guess that’s why we have a school to prison pipeline for black and brown kids. #Hypocrisy
62
Kavanaugh should get a vote when Garland does. Until then, all the GOP complaints of Democrats and their behavior ring false. The Republican voter numbers tend to be consistently stronger during midterms, so this “groundswell” of conservative rage is irrelevant. Nothing charges that Democrats need to show up to vote regardless and to vigorously defend the principles and values that have been enmeshed in the foundation of this republic for two centuries. Liberty, freedom, and open opportunity for everyone to be whomever they are and happy.
99
I'm a registered Democrat in a purple state-this nomination debacle makes me declare that I will never vote for a Democrat again, the party has become unhinged and left rational thought behind.
5
@Ncinblood and how did you feel about Merrick Garland?
13
What a joke. You sound like the trolls peddling #walkaway. If the Democrats actions during the confirmation were disqualifying, what does that make everything the GOP has done for the last 40 years?
24
@Ncinblood - So funny! I have seen a few of these 'turncoat' declarations and I don't believe them for a moment. No thinking human could possibly believe - at this point in time - that any Republican has theirs or this countries best interests at heart. It is numbingly clear that trump and his ilk operate in murky waters (think sewage). They lie, steal and cheat at every opportunity. And, they aren't Robin Hoods, they're just thieves
10
Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union says Democrats “don’t just disagree with Trump, they hate him and they want him in prison.”
So in his view, Democrats are evil to want Trump in prison, but Conservatives are right to chant “Lock her up,” about Hillary Clinton.
Add that to the Kavanaugh crisis: Republican Chairman Grassley berates the Dems for trying to stop Trump from getting his nominee, but it was OK for Republicans to stop Obama from getting his nominee.
The G.O.P. has lost its “grandness” and its fairness. It has been hypnotized by Trump’s vision of make-believe reality.
269
@Mary Doan: I have reinterpreted "G.O.P" as standing for "Greed, Oil, Puritanism."
2
@Mary Doan
"[The democrats] want him in prison"
Wasn't it Trump whose campaign slogan was an anti-HRC chant of 'Lock 'Er Up!' with no mention of what crime she was guilty of? Or doesn't thast matter in the republican world?
For myself, I don't care what happens to trump to evict him from the White House. As long as he's evicted.
2
The Democrats have over reached and they are going to pay a price for it. Demeaning Kavanaugh may have protected Dem Senators from backlash from their left wing and charges of not fighting hard enough. However, it has exposed their nasty, unfair, and highly polarizing insulting language and word points of view. The worst of it is that they have tried to destroy both Kavanaugh and the Court not out of principal or out of true opposition to Kavanaugh but rather to oppose Trump and to mobilize their base. Shame on Schumer, Feinstein and the rest - they have driven many people who wanted to abandon Trump for something better by demonstrating that if anything the Democratic Resistance is not better, it is worse than Trump.
6
@John no, children in profit-making detention, abandonment of green oversight, huge tax breaks for the rich, suborning foreign state election interference. . . Nobody’s worse than Trump.
17
Do you people listen to yourselves? Have you been asleep sine 1994? The GOP has been poisoning the well and paying dirty for two decades, and they've been winning for it. Now, the Democrats finally grow a spine and fight back, suddenly they're despicable. America politics is war now; stop lying to yourself that it's anything else
25
@Angry
You are right. I just hope that the lethargy that seems to overtake us liberal Democrats right around election time will have been burned away by this latest, and really almost unbelievable atrocity.
Not only have we been asleep since 1994, but I am afraid we are culpable in our quiet indirect way in creating this situation. Most recently are those among us whose moral purity wouldn't allow the terrible compromise of voting for Secretary Clinton and so we either got all starry eyed over the ego-driven Bernie, stayed home at the election, or "voted our consciences" (as several friends admonished me) by casting those ballots at the feet of Tweedledum and Tweedledee--Johnson and Stern? Get it together, folks. Here is not only one more chance, but very possibly the last chance for many many years.
I guess we will see how angry people can get when they get what they wanted, and how upset many more people will be after they have had the Court stuffed down their throat. The court full of people who don't like government except when it is enriching the rich and invading bedrooms to tell people what they should do.
15
After watching the Senate hearings and the responses that Kavanaugh gave, there is no way I would feel comfortable having this loud, aggressive, uncontrolled, partisan person in such a position.
Theatrics do not belong in the Supreme Court. Well,perhaps for the lawyers... However, judgements should be as unbiased and rationaley considered as humanly possible when decisions are issued.
Kavanaugh clearly is not such a judicious person since he can’t even keep himself under control when pressure is on. The Supreme Court would be a position under pressure most of the time.
91
@Kam Most reasonable people believe our new supreme court justice acted in a completely responsible expected way. The allegations by democrats will hurt them for many years to come.
1
@Charles in service,
He acted completely irrationally. He even wrote an op-ed to explain his behavior. He's completely unfit to be on SCOTUS.
They can do that. We expect it. They lie, and a cross section of people will believe those lies. It is easy to get people riled up in a closed off beer hall. So vote. Get your friend to vote. Get their friends to vote.
16
More than likely in the wrong direction.
1
In November, Republicans should corner the Dems on 3 points.
1) Democrats support anarchy fueled by aggressive activism over rule of law.
2) Democrats support illegal immigration putting vote driven identity politics ahead of public interest.
3) They and their backers in media are totally disconnected from average Americans of every race and ethnicity. Thy are pushing over an entire population, a version of thought that is on extreme fringes of ‘social media hyper activism’. In other words they don’t represent concerns and sensitivities of average Americans.
4
Anger or righteousness? It depends on perspective.
4
"Kavanaugh Propels Voters to the Polls"
Well the 2nd half of the headline is correct. Millions upon millions of "Blue" voters will be headed to the polls to vote against the Republicans injustice of Dr. Ford.
And a myriad of other injustices against, refugee children held in internment camps, tax cuts for the rich, our environment, etc.
123
Number 1, if Donald Trump is impeached, he will have impeached himself through his efforts to solicit foreign aid in his election and his attempts to cover it up; number 2, it was never the Republicans' country in the first place, but all of ours, and number 3, Judge Kavanaugh does not have the moral character and dispassionate judgment required to serve on the Supreme Court. But go ahead and run attack ads denying these three arguments anyway.
174
As a progressive who disposes everything that Trump stands for, I am in a quandary over whether or not I want this temperamentally unfit, political partisan to prevail here and join the other eight members of the High Court. Kavanaugh would, after all, only be replacing a generally conservative Anthony Kennedy, and if he is defeated, Trump would find an equally conservative jurist to take his place. The effect of Kavanaugh's defeat would most probably be a terrific energizing of republicans in November who might vote in numbers so as to keep the house and senate as red as it is today. Conversely, perhaps the fury of voters, most especially women, at Kavanaugh's appointment could lead to the Blue Wave in the House that Democrats like myself so fervently hope for, and should they assume committee chairmanships and the ability to order investigations, we will not have heard the last accusations against a Justice Kavanaugh.
21
We remember the unConstitutional gerrymander.
We remember Merrick Garland.
We remember Republican voter suppression laws.
We remember the slave-state inspired Electoral College.
We remember the tax cuts for the rich.
We remember the attempts to repeal the ACA.
And we will remember to vote in record numbers against the Republican Party that has worked tirelessly to destroy democracy, justice and representative government .
November 6 2018
309
Aye, Socrates. The barricades of democracy are calling.
1
@John
Bill Clinton was a sleaze bag. Does that make Kavanaugh less of one?
What's your point?