Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Ford Appear Before Senate Judicial Committee

Friday the United States Senate conducted a hearing on the sexual charges leveled at Judge Kavanaugh from Christine Ford.

Christine Ford appeared first before the committee. When it came time to question her, for the most part Democrat Senators used the time to make statements, not to ask questions. I can paraphrase it quickly: “You are great, you are courageous, you are brave, you are an inspiration. What can we do to make your life easier (other than destroying the character of a good man)”, etc etc. After about an hour of this it got pretty old. When they did ask questions it was hard hitting, let me tell you:

Senator Durbin: Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?

Ford: One hundred percent.

One of the most incredible statements was made by Spartacus, the Senator formerly known as Cory Booker. As you read this, remember that this is from a man who admitted sexually assaulting a woman in 1982. Why is HE allowed to sit in the Senate?

You are effecting the culture of our country. We have a — a wonderful nation, an incredible culture. But there are dark elements that allow unconscionable levels of — unacceptable levels of sexual assault and harassment that are effecting girls and boys, and effecting men and women, from big media outlets, to corporations, to factory floors, to servers in restaurants, so our intimate spaces in homes and apartments all around this country.

The Democrats were also like a broken record calling for an FBI investigation:

Leahy: You want to reach the truth. The easy way to do that: ask the FBI to investigate.

Blumenthal: Well, it’s not up to you. It’s up to the president of the United States, and his failure to ask for an FBI investigation, in my view, is tantamount to a cover-up.

Feinstein: Republicans also scheduled this hearing with Dr. Ford without having her allegations investigated by the FBI.

Durbin: The FBI should have investigated your charges as they did in the Anita Hill hearing.

Coons: I wish we could have provided for you a more thorough hearing today. I think asking for the FBI to investigate this matter thoroughly was not asking too much.

Harris: The FBI could have interviewed Mark Judge, Patrick Smith, Leland – Leland Keyser, you and Judge Kavanaugh on these issues.

Durbin (to Kavanaugh):I’ve got a suggestion for you: right now, turn to your left in the front row to Don McGahn, counsel to President Donald Trump. Ask him to suspend this hearing and nomination process until the FBI completes its investigation of the charges made by Dr. Ford and others, and goes to bring the witnesses forward, and provides that information to this hearing. I am sure that the chairman at that point will understand that that is a reasonable request to finally put to rest these charges, if they are false, or to prove them if they are not.

The Republicans decided to employ a sex case prosecutor to ask the questions of Christine Ford. It was an interesting strategy. Instead of treating this like a hearing, they treated it like a deposition. The media (including Fox) decried the strategy. Watching it, I was wondering myself where it was going. But after it was over, Rachel Mitchell had exposed contradictions in her story:

• in her statement to the Washington Post she stated there were 4 other boys present. On the polygraph test she stated there were 4 boys and 2 girls.
• Three of the people she stated was there have denied it until oath
• She doesn’t recall how she got to the party or how she got home
• While we were told initially that Ford would not be able to testify due to her fear of flying, upon questioning she indicated she had flown – a lot.
• She seemed totally unaware that Grassley had made an offer to come see her in California. In fact her counsel did NOT want her to talk about it. In the end she said she was not clear on what the offer was.
• Her marriage therapy records, where she discusses this event, does not mention Kavanaugh’s name
• She could not remember whether she was audio or videotaped during her polygraph less than two months ago (but CAN remember details about the radio from 1982?)
• She stated the only people who had a copy of her letter were Representative Eshoo and Senator Feinstein and her attorneys. So that raises a question of who leaked it?

So nothing had changed after her testimony. Everything about her story remains uncorroborated.

Then it was Judge Kavanaugh’s turn. And he UNLOADED on the Democrats (and rightfully so!):

This confirmation process has become a national disgrace. The Constitution gives the Senate an important role in the confirmation process, but you have replaced advice and consent with search and destroy.

Since my nomination in July, there’s been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything to block my confirmation. Shortly after I was nominated, the Democratic Senate leader said he would, quote, “oppose me with everything he’s got.” A Democratic senator on this committee publicly — publicly referred to me as evil — evil. Think about that word. It’s said that those who supported me were, quote, “complicit in evil.” Another Democratic senator on this committee said, quote, “Judge Kavanaugh is your worst nightmare.” A former head of the Democratic National Committee said, quote, “Judge Kavanaugh will threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come.”

I understand the passions of the moment, but I would say to those senators, your words have meaning. Millions of Americans listen carefully to you. Given comments like those, is it any surprise that people have been willing to do anything to make any physical threat against my family, to send any violent e-mail to my wife, to make any kind of allegation against me and against my friends. To blow me up and take me down.

You sowed the wind for decades to come. I fear that the whole country will reap the whirlwind.

Those efforts didn’t work. When I did at least OK enough at the hearings that it looked like I might actually get confirmed, a new tactic was needed.

Some of you were lying in wait and had it ready. This first allegation was held in secret for weeks by a Democratic member of this committee, and by staff. It would be needed only if you couldn’t take me out on the merits.

When it was needed, this allegation was unleashed and publicly deployed over Dr. Ford’s wishes. And then — and then as no doubt was expected — if not planned — came a long series of false last-minute smears designed to scare me and drive me out of the process before any hearing occurred.

Crazy stuff. Gangs, illegitimate children, fights on boats in Rhode Island. All nonsense, reported breathlessly and often uncritically by the media.

This has destroyed my family and my good name. A good name built up through decades of very hard work and public service at the highest levels of the American government.

This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election. Fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record.

This is a circus. The consequences will extend long past my nomination. The consequences will be with us for decades. This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions, from serving our country.

I said I was such a judge, and I am. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. You’ve tried hard. You’ve given it your all. No one can question your effort, but your coordinated and well-funded effort to destroy my good name and to destroy my family will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out.

You may defeat me in the final vote, but you’ll never get me to quit. Never.

When I listened to Kavanaugh’s opening statement I was moved to tears myself in sympathizing with a good man who has had his character smeared and in righteous anger at what the Democrats and the left had done to perpetuate it. Kavanaugh did a great job of distinguishing between the Democratic party who orchestrated this whole event and Christine Ford. In fact he said he believed she had been sexually assaulted at some point in her life but not by him. And in a tearful moment he talked about his daughter Ashley saying they should pray for Ford.

During his session, Kavanaugh firmly denied the accusations against him. But Lindsey Graham had the most memorable moment. I often disagree and have been frustrated with the Senator in the past, but what he said here had me wanting to get up out of my seat and shout “AMEN”! (I was at work so it wouldn’t have been prudent at that juncture):

I cannot imagine what you and your family have gone through. Boy, you all want power. God, I hope you never get it. I hope the American people can see through this sham. That you knew about it and you held it. You had no intention of protecting Dr. Ford; none. She’s as much of a victim as you are. God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends. But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you’re looking for a fair process? You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend. This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap.

Your high school yearbook — you have interacted with professional women all your life, not one accusation. Here’s my understanding, if you lived a good life people would recognize it, like the American Bar Association has, the gold standard. His integrity is absolutely unquestioned. He is the very circumspect in his personal conduct, harbors no biases or prejudices. He’s entirely ethical, is a really decent person. He is warm, friendly, unassuming. He’s the nicest person — the ABA.

The one thing I can tell you should be proud of — Ashley, you should be proud of this — that you raised a daughter who had the good character to pray for Dr. Ford.

To my Republican colleagues, if you vote no, you’re legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics. You want this seat? I hope you never get it. I hope you’re on the Supreme Court, that’s exactly where you should be. And I hope that the American people will see through this charade. And I wish you well. And I intend to vote for you and I hope everybody who’s fair-minded will.

As I have watched all this play out, it has brought back memories of the Clarence Tomas hearing almost three decades ago. And here are the Democrats doing the exact same thing again. While they claim to care about Christine Ford, she is only a pawn that they are using to try and keep Judge Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court. If they have to destroy his career to do it, then so be it. These evil tactics must be punished at the ballot box. As decent Americans we must rise up and put a stop to this crap. I intend to do my part come this November.

Update: The Judicial Committee has voted to move the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court to the full Senate. At the last second Flake stated he would vote him out of committee but would not vote on the full floor unless there was a one week FBI investigation. The Senator has earned his name well. Now it is in McConnell’s court.

Update #2: Statement from President Trump: “I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”

This is obviously to give coverage and protect the spineless RINO’s like Flake and Collins. Nothing will come of it and then the Democrats will try their next delay tactic. Or they will miraculously find another accuser. My guess is they will try even more sordid accusations (although how do you get more sorted than gang rape?) or they will go the racist/bigot route (whether it’s bigotry against blacks, Hispanics or even the LGBTQ crowd). They have not played that card in full yet.

I know a lot of Republicans find this maddening and it is. Decent people don’t think this way. But what we don’t need to do is give up and stay home in November. As a said above, the left must be held responsible for this. These are dangerous and delusional individuals. If we don’t turn out and vote them out then their tactics will have succeeded and they will continue to use them and undermine our legal system. They cannot be allowed to get away with this. As Margaret Thatcher once said, “Now is not the time to go wobbly”.