Indeed. I wouldn’t be surprised if this poor woman gets called to testify. In fact, I seem to remember from Thomas hearings, that it was a letter, released to the FBI, that got Anita Hill called to testify at his hearings, and that they had been re-opened because of it… I’m not a fan of the old trope that history repeats itself, but in this case, it might be accurate. As it stands, the GOP is just doubling down and calling it nonsense.
Come on folks. Wake up. The Lord and Savior Donald Trump has said that you can grab them by the pussy and they will just let you do it. It is not like it was a full blown human being, this was a female! He will probably get some high fives in the locker room for it, but there will be no adverse consequences. Just more proof that women should have no control over their own sexuality. She obviously tempted him, the slut!! (/s for any who need it.)
So, all, this is why the nomination and evaluation process for a SC justice should move deliberately, not be rammed through before the composition of the Senate changes due to the midterms.
Imagine if the story had broken 2-3 weeks later. We’d be stuck with the man, there’d be no recourse. Maybe we are still stuck with him if Republicans don’t break ranks, but at least this becomes something which’d extract a credible political price later on.
Like Mark Twain observed, it sure seems to rhyme a lot though, albeit through deliberate machinations of the moral vacuum that is the Republican party.
His double negative confuses me, though. I assume he meant to say that he doesn’t think it does defines a life. Which I’d agree with for many stupid and terrible things, but not an attempted forcible rape, ffs. That’s not “stupid.” It’s not, “I was ignorant and wasn’t thinking and - ooops, I accidentally got together with my buddies and planned out and tried to enact a rape attempt on someone!”
@Mindysan33
What’s interesting is I see people on both the right and left bringing up Anita Hill, but with very, very different notions about what happened and what that means, with the right seeing it as a defense of him (while apparently having no idea what actually happened at the time, either). Your recollection about Hill is correct - she spoke truthfully to the FBI when they did the background check, that information was made public, then she was called to testify. The right are acting like she publicly came forward on her own initiative to attack him. They’ve got their own alternate reality.
And, it certainly provides plenty of cover for any moderate Democratic sens who might have been on the fence about voting no. (Manchin, Doug Jones, etc.)
i’m a great believer in the adage “never attribute to malice what can as easily be explained by stupidity.” but in this case, stupidity seems to be ruled out by the fact that there are literally a dozen or more judges from the federalist society who are just as white, just as male, and just as far right as this excreta that walks like a man.
I believe Ms. Ford. If the Republicans cared at all about doing their job they would pull the nomination without further ado.
Those like Tom Nichols who say they believe Ms. Ford but somehow think the assault she details shouldn’t be disqualifying, need to think hard about Kavanaugh’s present day response to the allegation. His categorical denial indicates that in all the years since high school, he hasn’t evolved; he still doesn’t understand today why what he did then was wrong. No one with a moral compass that badly damaged should be given a judgeship, let alone a seat on the Supreme Court.
oh sure go ahead and teach high school boys that whatever they do doesn’t matter later, that should end REALLY well - some “family values” right there
this lying piece of garbage has concluded long ago that it’s okay to do or say WHATEVER he needs to, as long as he can get control over women’s bodies
this event still pales in comparison to him purposely trying to force a CHILD to reach the point where she could not legally have an abortion despite her clear right to do so immediately and limit the physical distress - it’s RIGHT ON TAPE clear as day, how is that not disgusting to every single person voting for him, what is wrong with these people
I’m sure that as a judge Kavanaugh has had a lot of opportunities to weigh in on the degree to which “Ten minutes of stupid and terrible behavior when you’re 17” should be permitted to affect one’s future – or lack thereof.
I certainly hope the Committee has a chance to ask him this. I would also like them to ask Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and far too many others. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re available to testify. Maybe the “Central Park Five” could be brought in?
What Kavanaugh should say:
I’d like to take a moment to address the allegations that recently came forward from Professor Christine Blasey Ford.
First and foremost I must confess that, to my great shame, Professor Ford’s claims are absolutely true. As a 17-year-old boy I committed a crime of assault that was both reprehensible and inexcusable. No apology I can make, no words I can say, could possibly take away from my reprehensible actions. This assault robbed a teenage girl of her safety and her free agency, and I now know that she feared for her very life.
I’ve spent the last 35 years trying to put this crime behind me, to write it off as a stupid, youthful mistake that does not define the kind of man I am today in either my professional or personal life. But the truth is that we are all defined by our actions, past and present. The actions of that young man are still a part of the person I have become over the last 35 years, just as the pain and terror he caused is clearly still a part of the woman Professor Ford has become. I can’t run from that. At best I can try to make amends, and in that respect I have fallen short.
I like to think that the years of secret shame I’ve felt over that incident helped push me to follow a better path, that my desire to be a better person than I was that day guided me to a career in our hallowed justice system. I see now that I this path should have begun by working to atone for my actions against Professor Ford, because there is no atonement without open and heartfelt contrition.
Belated as it may be, I offer Professor Ford my deepest and most heartfelt apology and pray that she finds some measure of solace. As a small gesture of respect for the gravity of the situation and the benefit of the nation, I am also requesting that President Trump withdraw my name from consideration for this Supreme Court seat.
Thank you.
What Kavanaugh will say (through his lawyer or representative):
Justice Kavanaugh categorically and unequivocally denies Ms. Ford’s slanderous and baseless allegations, which are part of a partisan attack campaign coordinated by Democrats bent on undermining a fair and impartial judicial process.