If you’ve been paying any attention at all then you’d know this is not at all what the GOP is saying or thinking. They want to avoid the optics of the situation, not because they doubt that any one of them is more than capable of ripping Ford’s credibility to shreds with half their brain tied behind their back (at least in their view), but because it’s bad politics.
Why?
Are you asking why it’s bad politics?
Well, I guess why you think it is. You may think it’s obvious, but I’m curious for you to expand.
I did believe Gorsuch’s Boy Scout routine.
It’s been brought up a number of times in this thread that similar accusations would not have been credible against Gorsuch precisely because he was such a goody two shoes.
Part of the credibility of the Kavanaugh accusers comes from the fact that details of their stories, such as Kavanaugh’s heavy drinking, have been corroborated.
Did he get “spy” memos about illegally obtained Congressional committee information and lie under oath about it?
I don’t think any Republican Senator could (cross) examine Ford better than a seasoned sex crimes prosecutor. That’s nuts. It’s both, the optics and that this attorney will be much better at it.
Here’s a quote (admittedly, from a dubious source, but one you probably consider credible)
The Daily Beast - Neil Gorsuch Defended Columbia’s So-Called ‘Date-Rape Frat’
Oh shit man, what should we do now? Investigate? Call the FBI? Impeach him?
Or maybe, and it’s just an idea, we can drop the guilt-by-association thing?
Because all Ford would have to do is shed a single tear during a mildly adversarial question and Twitter, Facebook, CNN, and the SDMB would positively EXPLODE with discussion about how mean those old white Republican(!) dudes are for bullying this brave “survivor”.
If you’d like to make an argument for impeaching Gorsuch, go for it. I’ll be happy to listen.
The reasons why Kavanaugh’s Boy Scout routine is obvious bullshit are not limited to guilt by association. There’s a ton of stuff he contributed himself. A bunch of other stuff from people who knew him. And a tiny dash of guilt by association which fits nicely with an already established pattern.
I’m making an argument for why guilt-by-association is a stupid way to run pretty much anything, but especially a nomination process, and a tiny dash of demonstrating how ill-informed and ignorant your posts are.
ETA: credit where it’s due though, you do seem to have backed off your “blackout drunk” claims after some examination of them.
Their rationale is not that hard to divine; it still suggests that they lack the savvy and stones to handle this aspect of their jobs.
Guess what, Senators? Sometimes you’re expected to do things that are politically risky. If the prospect scares you, lean on your staffers to prepare you. You are a politician. If having to take on bad optics gives you diarrhea, don’t sign up the job. Simple.
Yeah, don’t hide behind your metaphorical mama’s skirt sucking your thumb.
Or … and since they’re the ones with a majority on the committee and can largely set their own rules, they can do it how they want and have another lawyer question her. It’s not that they’re “scared”, it’s that they’re savvy, and taking this particular political risk is unnecessary as there is a handy option for them to have someone else do the questioning. It would be foolish not to take advantage of that.
I’m starting to get nervous about Avenatti; there are claims that he was scammed by a fake witness.
I’m biting my nails!
To be fair, the Democrats would surely be able to hire any attorney they want to (cross) examine Kavanaugh. They’re not. I’d guess because they want to be seen doing it for their constituents, even if they cannot do it as well.
Missed this edit.
I’m not backing off that one bit. There’s tons of evidence that he got black out drunk. It’s even been posted to this thread. I will be happy to discuss it with you once you’ve read the thread.
He does seem to have gone strangely dark since his “I deliver” claims.
Avenatti has addressed this…
“It never happened. None of it. No truth to it. This is a fabrication of the right because they are worried and they should be."
He has not been known to make idle threats.
LOL. If you’ve got cites, share them. Silly preconditions like “go read every post in a 70+ page thread first” are unbecoming.