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Delay and Humiliate
I’ve had enough.
My husband and I have been on vacation for 10 days, so I’ve not been on Ricochet very much, but it’s hard to ignore the hysteria of the mainstream media and the hand-wringing of the right-leaning media. After reading parts of the letter from Christine Blasey Ford’s attorney Saturday at the last 2:30 pm deadline, I think the path forward for Republicans is obvious.
The comment that sent me over the edge was the disrespectful comment of Ford’s attorney to Senator Chuck Grassley saying that the committee’s responses—
. . . are fundamentally inconsistent with the committee’s promise of a fair, impartial investigation into her allegations.
We are disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process. We are hopeful that we can reach agreement on details.
If it wasn’t clear before this response from the attorney, the goal of humiliating Republicans and delaying the confirmation vote is crystal clear. It’s time for the Republicans to take swift and deliberate action. As I see the situation, they have two choices:
Option #1–They should state there will be no further negotiations. In fact, I’d be pleased to see them say that they should never have begun a negotiation process, given the questionable conditions under which these allegations were made. Ms. Ford is invited to come on Wednesday, which she’d already agreed to do. Her lawyer can interview her and Judge Kavanaugh, and Judge Kavanaugh’s lawyer (I believe she’s a woman) can interview both of them as well. Or the Senate Judiciary Committee can interview her in a private session; those are her choices. Then a vote of the committee will be taken. If this is not acceptable and she doesn’t agree to these conditions, she can renege on her agreement to come. A vote will be taken that day or the next.
Option #2–The Republicans can agree to continue on this path which is designed to last beyond the November elections. No matter how accommodating the Republicans are, the Democrats will condemn them. This option has only a disastrous outcome for Republicans, and the Democrats will take the majority in the mid-terms. Kavanaugh will be dumped and a candidate the Democrats favor for the Supreme Court will be nominated and voted in.
With either #1 or #2, the outcomes may work against the Republicans in the elections. My hope is that the Committee proceeds with Option #1 and that we at least get Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. I’m hopeful there are enough people (including women) who are appalled at the actions of Ms. Ford and the Democrats, and will see through their unconscionable plan and vote for a Republican Senate majority. And I recognize that with Kavanaugh on the bench, the Democrats will continue to investigate him if they win the election. He should be consulted to determine if he’s willing to go through that process.
If nothing else, we will see if the Republicans have a backbone.
Your thoughts?
Published in Politics
For the sole person in possession of the facts to put conditions on the investigation of the facts is inconsistent with any intent to determine the facts.
What is the point of talking to her at all? We know that she cannot provide any details, so it’s just going to a her crying about how she’s been unable to live her life for 35+ years, and blaming Kavanaugh, who has already denied it. I fail to see how having her speak to the Senate does anything other than to provide her and the other Democrats a chance to grandstand, and heaven knows they don’t need yet another one.
You’re far too tactful, @fullsizetabby! Much more than I am. ;-)
The arrogance and insistence on manipulating the Committee is appalling. I just heard that she’s agreed to meet on Thursday. But of course, all her other conditions are up in the air. Enough already!
Precisely. I’ve seen enough grandstanding from them for a lifetime!
Release the Kraken!
She will never testify. It’s delay. The window is closing fast.
Grassley seems doddering. His twitter posts last night were rather sad. The GOP was on their back feet before these appalling charges, playing defense, pooh poohing threats to Roe … the full apologetic squish. Sasse earned mancrush praise for ignoring the attacks and issuing homilies which, while valid, were utterly irrelevant to the insulting fight in front of him.
There’s simply no fight in the GOP apart from Cruz at times.
Kavanaugh was far less impressive and stalwart than Gorsuch, who can throw punches while back pedaling. And Gorsuch wasn’t testifying without any filibuster threat.
Grassley and the GOP have allowed a vague, decades old, unverifiable slander of a fine jurist to be framed as the central event of this confirmation after testimony had concluded. They are weak and vacillating.
If Ford is a credible actress, Kavanaugh is in big trouble. The GOP had three opportunities to end this ghastly charade this week.
But they are weak and vacillating and looking to a female staff attorney to fight for them. They would have to man up to become Arlen Spector for crissakes.
This is either true — she is fearful, panicked, afraid to fly, requires kid glove handling — or it is the savviest lowering of expectations in years.
What about the masterful framing of this frame job leads us to believe the former?
Because we hope it’s true?
Withdraw the offer to have her testify. State that as members n charge of the process that she and Feinstein were given the opportunity to produce their concerns and evidence and subject themselves to cross interrogation.
Because they have failed to do so, confirmation will continue and she is free to pursue the matter in criminal court but because of the statute of limitations, she can pursue the matter in civil court. Kavanaugh can counter-sue for defamation. She’ll be laughed out of court (think anyone would represent her against an associate justice pro-bono?). The feckless GOP (and the Dems) are setting precedent here. It’s up to the GOP to determine what type that is.
I saw some reporting that McConnell thinks he has the votes to confirm Kavanaugh now, so I think whatever deadline Grassley has extended now should be the last.
There have been comments about how the GOP needs to be mindful of women in how they proceed with the nomination process. This Twitter thread I read today is anecdotal of course, but very enlightening on how some women view the accusation against Kavanaugh. GOP may come out of this better than Democrats anticipate, but not if they delay voting much longer I think.
This SCOTUS nomination has been a roller coaster, for Judge Kavanaugh more than anyone probably. Reading here and elsewhere the past few days has reminded me how important conservative/liberal thinking Americans are to preserving this basic concept at the core of our republic so many have fought to preserve:
Well said, @mim526. We’ve allowed them to make a travesty of innocent until proven guilty.
They should make this the field to die on. Finally. Now. Thanks, @quakevoter.
Who is this We of whom you speak?
I’ve sent notes to my two senators plus Grassley and McConnell. I know that it’s a waste of time but I’ve done what I can. The Rs are determined to lose. I note that it’s the NTer senators who are the problem.
Remember voices of reason and sanity are suppressed. The committee should rightly proceed, and stop trying to think about elections.
This is about appointing a Supreme Court Justice. If we are to be damned, them we are better damed with Kavanaugh on the court, than off.
This is it – yes? They are more worried about the ‘optics’ than doing the right thing for their base and America.
What ever happened to simply doing the right thing and letting the [redacted] optics take care of themselves. But no, our brilliant and brave Republican Senators have to war game this from the jaws of victory to almost certain defeat.
October surprise comes a bit early this year. Op SUPPRESS REPUBLICAN VOTE is in full bloom.
My senators are leftist DiFi and even further leftist Kamela H. I did send DiFi a note telling her that while some might think of me as a “deplorable” at least I am not “despicable” — like her conduct in this matter. She won’t be able to go left enough to win in November over her Democrat opponent (California open primary put two Democrats in the general election), but this stunt might, might make it closer.
I wish that you would have written (especially women) instead.
Yeah, it’s frustrating as all H-E-L-L. The idea that her allegation is the least bit credible is laughable. All four of the people she’s named in support of her allegation (Kavanaugh, Judge, Smyth & Keyser) have all given statements under penalty of perjury that the event did not happen. She has not yet presented her claim under oath. Methinks we will not see her in front of the Committee.
So if she gives testimony that conflicts with the assaulter (Kavanaugh, Judge, Smyth & Keyser), what happens? Do they go to jail for perjury?
To paraphrase Henry II, “Will no one rid me of this pestilential progressive princess with priapic phantasies, her pugilistic pleader, and their pernicious plans?”
Ignore her and call the vote. Tomorrow!
I am more convinced that is this all about Flake.
He sits on the Judiciary Committee and is withholding his vote.
A GOP Senator from Arizona screwing the GOP. Again.
Not you,@simontemplar! Those rascally legislators who are supposed to have our backs!
You are spot on, ST! It’s so depressing and discouraging.
Well done, @rodin!! They keep dropping to a new low, and you wonder how much worse it can get! I don’t even want to think about it . . .
You people need to calm down. Yeesh so much angst and misplaced anger.
If you think Ms. Ford’s account can’t hold water the best thing to do is to give her every opportunity to prove it. If you just bulldoze over her as proposed she doesn’t have to prove her story she can argue that people are being unfair. She might argue this anyway, but the greater the effort the committee makes to accommodate her the more hollow her arguments sound.
You should be thanking Flake for forcing the committee to take her seriously, plus he’s going to vote for Kavanaugh you know. He’s voted for every judge hasn’t he? I’d worry less about him and more about stupid Trump mouthing off in a tweet in some inappropriate manner.
You are missing the most important point, @valiuth. This process is intended to delay the vote, pure and simple. She’s a Leftist activist. The more accommodations we make to her requests, the longer the process drags on. I think we were all fine with her speaking up–but on the terms of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The SJC had been more than accommodating to her, regardless of Flake, They gave a week’s notice for a hearing that was supposed to be tomorrow. Her team took days to respond, and then demanded to push the date back to this upcoming Thursday and to set the terms of the hearing (e.g., Judge K testifies 1st, only Senators get to question her, not counsel). The SJC kept pushing back the deadline (which they should not have done, IMO). Please don’t try to gaslight us that it’s been Flake keeping the majority on the ball.
I forgot to add that from the jump, the SJC offered to take Ford’s statement/testimony in any way that would make her comfortable. Hell, they even offered to send staff to CA to take her statement (and they didn’t then know about her fear of flying, which hasn’t seemed to keep her from such things as internships/surfing in Hawaii). Her and her team’s response: crickets.
But yeah, it’s Flake forcing the committee to accommodate her. Give me a freaking break.