Looks like Ford will testify 10am on Thursday.
I’d guess Kavanaugh goes second (during prime time hours for max exposure). I don’t think anyone else will testify. I do think a lot of people who should testify will instead submit written statements not remembering anything that Republicans will use as denials of the allegation.
Why? Do you prefer your Senators to be unwilling/unable to exercise independent thought and judgment? Or is that party affiliation really is everything to you?
The situation with Ventry being fired from a previous job is from 2017. It would appear Grassley did a crap job vetting him or the GOP members of the committee just didn’t care.
We also have a group of GOP women defending Kavanaugh with one of them saying
So apparently in GOP World, all teenage boys are expected to attempt to rape any available female.
I know I wouldn’t let a boy raised by any of those people near any female in my life. But hey, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since it lines up with the attitude of a number of people defending Kavanaugh.
You mean opinions of the DC Circuit aren’t published and available freely to read?
No doubt a lot of conversations are happening in private.
There’s quite a bit more to his record than that. It *has *been normal in previous hearings for it all to be made public, but not this time. That’s been pretty widely reported over here.
Just out of curiosity, what the *hell *has gotten into you lately?
So in essence, Ford was asking to be raped because she and her friends might’ve committed the cardinal sin of baring their knees, drinking alcohol unsupervised, and socializing with boys in the absence of 1950’s-style chaperones. Gotcha.
Oh here comes the good stuff: she was sneaky and misbehaving, too. We can infer this not from character witness statements about her personally, but by the mass failure of her peer group to be prim and proper at all times. Niiiice.
But what’s telling is that we don’t see SA condemning Kavanaugh at all, even though nothing can be said about Ford’s debauchery that can’t also be doubly said about Kav’s. Plus, it’s only Kav that stands accused of victimizing someone. Not surprising in the least, but still worth noting.
I have to thank SA for validating what I predicted in this post. It’s always nice to have proof that I’m not just pulling shit out of my ass. Pay attention to this part, y’all:
The witnesses have every right to refuse an interview by the FBI. Judge and Kavanaugh probably would not, but they will have good attorneys to ensure that they do not say anything bad, even if the allegations are true. Ford’s husband has every reason to corroborate her story, not only because he loves his wife, but because the bed is far more comfortable than the couch at his buddy’s house.
Further, how could Ford give any information on what her therapist’s notes say other than to say that the therapist made a mistake and that’s not what she said? The therapist could give information to the FBI if Ford waived her doctor/patient privilege, but if asked to do that, we would hear the word “bullied” again.
If there was DNA to be tested, or a body to be searched for, I would agree with the need for an FBI investigation, but we don’t have that. In your view, is the Judiciary Committee or the media incapable of investigating?
I have an appointment half way across the state on Thursday. I won’t get home until late. That day is not good for me. I demand that they make it Friday.
Just imagine how you feel if / when Manchin / Heitkamp / Donnelly / other red-state Dems “exercise independent thought and judgement” and vote with the Republicans. Are you, typically, delighted by that? Do you find yourself hoping that it happens more often or less often?
My thoughts:
I don’t think anyone comes out of this well. I also think the political impact is highly uncertain but possibly with more downside for the Democrats particularly if their red-state senators are forced to make a tough vote against Kavanaugh. This affair may well energize Democratic voters who were voting anyway as well as Republican voters who were complacent and thinking of sitting it out.
In my view, the Judiciary Committee is not an unbiased entity. I think the media is sensation-oriented but more importantly there is no penalty for lying to the media. And we have the precedent of the FBI doing an investigation into the Thomas/Hill affair.
When the story first broke, I would agree that getting the FBI involved would be a mistake. An anonymous tip isn’t something you can do much about. But we have names of people who can be interviewed and plenty of time to do the interviews. And I believe the American public is largely behind the idea of doing it. It’s hard for me to think of a good reason not to get the FBI involved. If they come up with nothing, they come up with nothing.
If your appointment is to meet with the FBI over the death threats your receiving, I think they would accommodate you. If you’re just making stuff up, they won’t.
The FBI has used its discretion and declined the opportunity to investigate. The argument is that President Trump, who the left has continually labeled a fucking moron who has no expertise in these matters, should nonetheless override that decision and order them to investigate.
This, despite their previous contentions that the FBI should be independent and not subject to oversight by Trump when it came to the Russia matter. They have used their discretion and rightfully found that they are not magic genies who can conjure up long forgotten events from 1982 (or 1981 or 1983 or 1984).
What if a murderer gets away because the FBI has dedicated agents to this fool’s errand? Who is responsible for that?
As much as I dread watching the ugliness play out next week, I hope it’s a wake up call for anyone (especially women) still unsure that the GOP is rotten at its core. My only fear is that people who can’t see this already may never see it.
The Republicans seem to be doing their very damn best to make it crystal clear, I’ll give them that, though.
Do you have a cite that she raised that issue for her unavailability?
You keep saying there’s no chance of an investigation turning up anything helpful.
Fine. That’s what you believe. Several professional investigators have said publicly that they think there is a chance it might be productive.
I agree with them. And while it’s fine to disagree, the reason there’s no investigation is because of political timing, not because there’s no chance it could be productive.
The GOP is giving her an opportunity to testify just as she asked. How is that an example of the GOP being “rotten at its core”?
If you have to ask, you are part of the problem.
Many GOP senators have already stated that they support Kavanaugh no matter what happens at the hearing.