Patterico's Pontifications

9/27/2018

Open Thread: Slow News Day

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:15 am



Nothing much happening today. What’s on your mind?

Oh: if you’re going to be following the whole “did our Supreme Court nominee facilitate chain rape and commit sexual assault?” hearing, here are a couple of tidbits.

Not to pull an Ed Whelan on you, but maybe it was these guys who attacked Ford?

The Senate Judiciary Committee has interviewed two men this week who say that they, not Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, were involved in the sexual assault that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford alleged happened in the summer of 1982.

Then again, maybe not:

The news was included in a timeline released Wednesday evening by the committee, and it is unclear how seriously the committee is taking the claims. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called one of the men “crazy as a loon” when asked about the claims Thursday morning on “Fox & Friends.”

I hear that Sen. Mazie Hirono said on CNN that she is Very Upset that “shadow people” are claiming credit. Because if there’s one thing that shouldn’t affect this process, it’s anonymous accusations from shadow people who might be lunatics. OH BY THE WAY DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE NEW ACCUSATION AGAINST BRETT KAVANAUGH?!?!?!?

Oh, and as for the creepy porn lawyer’s client? There’s this:

Julie Swetnick, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a friend of attending house parties where women — including herself — were sexually assaulted, had a restraining order filed against her years later in Miami by her former boyfriend.

A Miami-Dade County court docket shows a petition for injunction against Swetnick was filed March 1, 2001, by her former boyfriend, Richard Vinneccy, who told POLITICO Wednesday the two had dated for four years before they broke up.

Thirteen days later, the case was dismissed, not long after an affidavit of non-ability to advance fees was filed.

According to Vinneccy, Swetnick threatened him after they broke up and even after he got married to his current wife and had a child.

“Right after I broke up with her, she was threatening my family, threatening my wife and threatening to do harm to my baby at that time,” Vinneccy said in a telephone interview with POLITICO. “I know a lot about her.”

“She’s not credible at all,” he said. “Not at all.”

Vinneccy is a victim. Believe victims!

Enjoy today’s shenanigans! And always remember: we have to delay and investigate some more! It’s the Democrat way.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

543 Responses to “Open Thread: Slow News Day”

  1. Ding.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  2. Something else going.

    Narciso (5ea76b)

  3. I just turned on the TV. I know, I swear I wouldn’t but…

    DiFi is going full MeToo, full Womens March. Boo hoo, women are so, so oppressed.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  4. Believe victims!

    this was trendy for awhile but it’s been superceded by another trend

    rape accusers and journalists and the fbi?

    they’ve all frittered away gobs of credibility in the last 2 years

    gobs and oodles!

    nobody believes these people anymore they just roll their eyes

    and this is very healthy

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  5. Seeing Min Kim
    @seungminkim
    Alyssa Milano gaggles with reporters. She says she is here as an invited guest of @SenFeinstein
    __ _

    Ben Shapiro
    @benshapiro
    Don’t worry guys this isn’t a clown show

    harkin (a4b010)

  6. i used to really like Alyssa Milano until she became a dirty rape hoaxer

    this sucks

    Alyssa why are you pushing me away

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  7. LOL… just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round… not really.

    And I chose this day to actually drive into my “for real” office…

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  8. Her voice (before she began to sob/choke back tears) is wholly irritating. Gravelly with inflections at the end of sentences. She evoked a schoolgirl, not a woman of letters.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  9. Alyssa Milano… of Punky Brewster fame!?!?

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  10. People come out of the woodwork sometimes to admit to witnessing or even doing things they didn’t do. Mental illness is a huge problem, and I guess I would actually guarantee some of that is happening in a case as controversial and popular as this one. Of course the nuts are coming out of the woodwork. What else did they have to do with their time? The confessions from randos don’t really help anyone evaluate any of the claims of the victims. Leaking that stuff is a petty move. Calling that muddying the waters is a legit point.

    If this investigation was handled responsibly by both sides, there would be many details kept from the public, and witnesses coming forward could corroborate those details and otherwise put themselves on the scene, and be taken seriously. But no, this is trial by press, leaks, and quite a lot of lies, all intended to shape the mid-terms. The democrats definitely held back until the last second, to pile on instead of handling this with any professionalism. Avanetti’s conduct in particular is appalling. He’s relishing this with circus promotion antics.

    I said two years ago that electing Trump sets up yet another 2006 “Culture of Corruption” campaign to take back the congress. I didn’t think it would involve the Supreme Court. But of course we would be talking about a sex scandal right now. Here’s who the GOP is:

    “I did try and f— her. She was married. I moved on her like a b—-. But I couldn’t get there. I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. Grab ’em by the p—-. You can do anything.”

    That creep, that child, that’s your president. That’s the Republican Party now. Obviously the democrats were going to exploit that. It’s still amazing this guy managed to win the election in the first place (again, he lost the vote by millions).

    That’s what this is really about.

    Obviously, the GOP has a huge problem with sexual assault. It’s not debatable and only the zealots will protest. They nominated and elected a man who said the above phrase into office. It’s a done deal. That doesn’t mean the democrats are worthy of trust, and indeed they don’t see this as an opportunity to be responsible and sober with such a serious issue. Instead, it’s the move tabloidy effort.

    Voters will be asking why we didn’t see this kind of campaign against Gorsuch. Why are there multiple claims against Kavanaugh? While the actual attack allegations are not corroborated, there has been some corroboration about Kavanaugh’s behavior in the yearbook and that Mike weirdo’s book. But mostly, voters can ask themselves if the GOP is the party of sleazy powerful men, and who is leading the GOP again?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  11. 8… please tell me she doesn’t end her sentences with the upward lilt! And please count the number of “like”s she uses.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  12. Rent-free 24x7x365…

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  13. Now we get assertions that she informed others many years before. Has the husband submitted a sworn affidavit?

    She is clearly reliving a trauma. To what extent is it real, or conjured?

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  14. she looks like the tootsie roll pop owl

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  15. The lunatic is on the grass.
    The lunatic is on the grass.
    Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.
    Got to keep the loonies on the path.

    The lunatic is in the hall.
    The lunatics are in my hall.
    The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
    And every day the paper boy brings more.

    And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
    And if there is no room upon the hill
    And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
    I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.

    nk (dbc370)

  16. Did Blasey Ford actually say the incident was “seared into her memory”? Her prepared remarks show it:

    But the details about that night that bring me here today are ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult.

    DRJ (15874d)

  17. Yes, she sounds like a child. And what’s with the caffeine remarks?

    Patricia (3363ec)

  18. “High School Hijinks: Teh Conjuring”… from Roger Corman and American International Pictures

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  19. A bit of a difference between the politicians and a professional prosecutor….it’s a shame that the Democrats won’t go the same route….it will make the testimony disjointed

    AJ_Liberty (165d19)

  20. “And always remember: we have to delay and investigate some more! It’s the Democrat way.”

    It also happens to be the NeverTrump way.

    The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again.

    16tons (fb1349)

  21. “But mostly, voters can ask themselves if the GOP is the party of sleazy powerful men, and who is leading the GOP again?

    The man the Democrats called the Lion Of The Senate and who they repeatedly re-elected left a young girl to drown in an overturned car while he escaped, ran away, swam across a channel and huddled with his handlers trying to talk them into finding someone else to take the fall.

    The Dems also elected (twice) a man who was charged by numerous women with rape/assault. His hideous wife was in charge of quelling the accusations. As an attorney, she once laughed at a 12 year old girls’ rape testimony.

    The media is in a frenzy over unsubstantiated and contradictory accusations against a SCOTUS nominee from 30 years ago while ignoring the recent assault accusations against one of the Congressmen from MN.

    Yes – the GOP has a problem with sleazy, powerful men

    harkin (a4b010)

  22. Rent-free 24x7x365…

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d) — 9/27/2018 @ 7:43 am

    Yes, indeed I do talk and think about the President of the United States when I discuss politics on a politics blog. It’s pretty reasonable to discuss that Trump has bragged about committing sexual assault, if the topic is a sexual assault allegation against Trump’s appointee, and if the topic is the way the democrats have harnessed this issue. Redefining the GOP as the party of Trump is a terrible thing politically, for the reasons I explained above.

    Your response did not address my argument. It was a personal attack on me, and it’s verbatim what you’ve said in reply to me before, as a troll effort. This blog is trying to improve the comment section, and you are being disrespectful to the bloggers here that you can’t just relax on the personal attacks. If you can’t come up with a response to me that isn’t a personal attack, why can’t you just not respond?

    she looks like the tootsie roll pop owl

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 9/27/2018 @ 7:45 am

    Who cares what she looks like? Who cares how her voice sounds? This isn’t a TV star or a politician.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  23. Yes, she sounds like a child. And what’s with the caffeine remarks?

    And maybe all this anxiety and panic disorder is due to too much caffeine as much as from a high school run-in with drunken boys.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  24. I didn’t think it would involve the Supreme Court.

    nevertrump set it up to involve the Supreme Court when they participated in the young stuff hoax on Roy Moore

    they didn’t know they’d end up beaning one of their own mans

    oof!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  25. Why was she comfortable staying at a party where at least two individuals were obviously inebriated? Was she at other parties where Kavanaugh was obviously drunk?

    AJ_Liberty (165d19)

  26. Sex crimes prosecutors tend to be gentle with victims and not perpetrators, because they don’t bring cases unless they believe the victims. I guess the GOP wants her to be gentle to not antagonize the public, but I still hope this prosecutor can avoid that tendency by treating it as an investigation, not a trial.

    DRJ (15874d)

  27. The man the Democrats called the Lion Of The Senate and who they repeatedly re-elected left a young girl to drown in an overturned car while he escaped, ran away, swam across a channel and huddled with his handlers trying to talk them into finding someone else to take the fall.

    The Dems also elected (twice) a man who was charged by numerous women with rape/assault. His hideous wife was in charge of quelling the accusations. As an attorney, she once laughed at a 12 year old girls’ rape testimony.

    The media is in a frenzy over unsubstantiated and contradictory accusations against a SCOTUS nominee from 30 years ago while ignoring the recent assault accusations against one of the Congressmen from MN.

    Yes – the GOP has a problem with sleazy, powerful men

    harkin (a4b010) — 9/27/2018 @ 8:01 am

    This is an interesting response. Just so we’re clear, I agree Kennedy and Clinton did a lot of terrible stuff way back when.

    I quoted Trump confessing, indeed bragging to sexual assault. Your response is to mock that the GOP really has a problem with sleazy powerful men… but you offered no actual argument that the GOP doesn’t have this problem. Indeed, it’s not an opinion that the GOP does if Trump already admitted it.

    Your argument is ‘buh buh buh the democrats are bad’. Yes, I agree with the premise that the democrats have some sexual scandals. I could name much better examples than the decades old Kopechne death, or that you think Bill Clinton’s wide is “hideous” (why does that matter?)

    You mention that Bill Clinton was charged by numerous women with rape. Were these claims corroborated? Were they stronger than the claims against President Trump? Were they stronger than the claims against Kavanaugh? It’s fascinating to me that partisans on your side are so angry about democrat scandals, but don’t seem to care whatsoever about GOP scandals, and of course the opposite is also true.

    But nothing you said really changes the fact that Donald Trump admitted to what he did, was proud of it, and that his supporters do not care about it. All the anger expressed about Bill Clinton… it comes across as cynical politics now.

    At any rate, Trump is president today. Of course the democrats are going to bring up sex scandals all the time if the GOP is led by a man who admits to sex scandals.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  28. I didn’t think it would involve the Supreme Court.

    this was supposed to be in italics where i quoted it before

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  29. nevertrump set it up to involve the Supreme Court when they participated in the young stuff hoax on Roy Moore

    It’s interesting that Trump fans like you and Haiku are so much more hostile to conservatives than you are towards the people actually making these allegations. I seem to recall Roy Moore admitted he was basically dating children with an absurd power imbalance in the relationship. He’s a loser and I don’t feel bad about him not having tremendous power over issues of national importance.

    Do you have any evidence that the many people accusing him of things were lying? You talk about this case so much that you’re the resident expert. Or is it just the (R) that proves it, combined with a personal view that democrats must be worse because hey, they are democrats and therefore they are worse?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  30. At any rate, Trump is president today.

    did you see they confirmed the 4.2% gdp growth rate?

    Report reinforces view that economy was on robust footing in quarter, powered by gains in consumer spending, net exports and business investment

    yay America!

    yay President Trump!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  31. He’s a loser and I don’t feel bad about him not having tremendous power over issues of national importance.

    that’s fine but what about those lifeydoodles what are all hey fetuses (boo hoo) are being murdered let’s elect Doug Jones

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  32. Dustin – Because she comes off as a snowflake. Snowflakes are notorious for blowing events all out of proportion. This is a data point in determining recall. By no means dispositive. But, a data point nonetheless.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  33. Did she just prevaricate? She was asked if she had been “contacted.” She replied as to her “talking” to anyone.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  34. that’s fine but what about those lifeydoodles what are all hey fetuses (boo hoo) are being murdered let’s elect Doug Jones

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 9/27/2018 @ 8:14 am

    In other words, you believe that Roy Moore’s conduct is not important because pro-life voters should support someone who opposes abortion either way.

    This is irrational on a number of levels. For one, Roy Moore wasn’t going to make abortions illegal. That was never going to happen. The idea that a pro-lifer is doing the ‘real sin’ by not ruthlessly supporting perverts in order to get conservatives in the Senate is just hostility itself. Mitt Romney doesn’t have to support everyone who claims to be pro-life.

    And think about the greater context. The whole GOP is all about Trump, all the time. Whether Haiku likes it or not, Kavanaugh, Roy Moore, it’s all in the context of this nightmare scenario that the US President brags about grabbing women by the p—-. Now the GOP has to try twice as hard to prove it’s worthy of trust. Now, all the claims about Kennedy and Clinton and Weiner are not going to be taken seriously.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  35. Dustin – Because she comes off as a snowflake. Snowflakes are notorious for blowing events all out of proportion. This is a data point in determining recall. By no means dispositive. But, a data point nonetheless.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa) — 9/27/2018 @ 8:15 am

    Well said. I think you’ve made the point much more clearly. Even if the basis is superficial, you’re getting at something relevant. I don’t care how she sounds or what she looks like as far as the endlessly nasty and personal Trump fans at this blog insulting someone’s appearance. That’s awful. But I do care if she comes across as someone who would blow an event out of proportion.

    They are related, but they aren’t the same argument.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  36. “People say I’m no good and crazy as a loon
    ‘Cause I get stoned in the morning
    And get drunk in the afternoon”

    Where would we be without people who really should stay out of the public eye, insisting on max exposure.
    Without comic relief that’s where. But this is getting to be a little much even for me. My sides hurt and I think I may have cracked some ribs. I’ve got the hiccups from laughing and I’m out of tears. From Ford through Avenatti to these guys has been too much. I wake up in the night giggling like a chimp studying poop

    steveg (a9dcab)

  37. “This is an interesting response. Just so we’re clear, I agree Kennedy and Clinton did a lot of terrible stuff way back when.”

    Interesting. When Democrats do it, it’s just two guys and ancient history. And you left off Ellison, smh.

    When Trump brags about assault 13 years ago, or women who all lean far left make unsubstantiated accusations from 30 years ago, it infects the entire current GOP.

    Comedy Gold.

    harkin (a4b010)

  38. Mark Judge should testify….he’s the prime witness.

    AJ_Liberty (165d19)

  39. Yeah, Mary Jo Kopechne is just ancient history. And she is still dead.

    I know there’s no point in responding to a partisan, but when women “let you do it” it’s not assault.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  40. harkin:

    Interesting. When Democrats do it, it’s just two guys and ancient history.

    That isn’t what I understood Dustin to say.

    DRJ (15874d)

  41. The prime witness to something that happened she can’t remember when and she can’t remember where and everyone she says knew about it (including one of her best friends) says she’s wrong.

    Yeah, a smart person would rush to jump into this psychotic stew.

    harkin (a4b010)

  42. DRJ – if you think ‘way back when’ implied anything else, I disagree.

    harkin (a4b010)

  43. “This is an interesting response. Just so we’re clear, I agree Kennedy and Clinton did a lot of terrible stuff way back when.”

    Interesting. When Democrats do it, it’s just two guys and ancient history. And you left off Ellison, smh.

    When Trump brags about assault 13 years ago, or women who all lean far left make unsubstantiated accusations from 30 years ago, it infects the entire current GOP.

    Comedy Gold.

    harkin (a4b010) — 9/27/2018 @ 8:23 am

    Harkin, who is the current president of the United States? It’s not Ted Kennedy, it’s not Ellison, and it’s not Bill Clinton. It’s Donald Trump. The GOP put that man in the Oval Office just weeks after we all first learned how he bragged about sexually assaulting women. Yes, of course that infects the GOP brand very badly on this issue.

    I think all of these guys are sleazy. I wouldn’t trust a single one of them in a room alone with a woman. But only one of them is the president.

    Here’s what you left out of your quote of my comment above:

    It’s fascinating to me that partisans on your side are so angry about democrat scandals, but don’t seem to care whatsoever about GOP scandals, and of course the opposite is also true.

    You’re mischaracterizing my argument. I never said the democrats aren’t scandalous. I never said their partisans aren’t biased. I said the exact opposite of what you’re suggesting I said. I request that you correct your mischaracterization.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  44. So far Mitchell has not asked any questions these timid, Republican senators themselves could have asked. They don’t think twice about sending our kids into combat but are afraid to talk to a grown woman about this icky sex stuff. They are failing to do the job they were elected to do. What cowards.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  45. FOX panel shredding the format and rightly so. Grassley is a fool.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  46. she’s creepy Mr. DCSCA and you can tell she’s lying

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  47. Dustin said he “could name much better examples” that are more recent. He did not say Democratic scandals don’t matter.

    DRJ (15874d)

  48. My 8:21 am response to Ed is in moderation but basically I agree with his point.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  49. The prosecutor is trying to pin Ford down to a specific story.

    DRJ (15874d)

  50. No way in Hades will the vote on BK happen tomorrow. They dang well better move on the other appointments tomorrow, though.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  51. Maybe she should get to the point instead of doing that.

    DRJ (15874d)

  52. But I don’t think it makes sense to give up on the process after 20 minutes of questions.

    DRJ (15874d)

  53. How many parties did she attend with Kavanaugh and Judge previously? Did they talk…..did she believe they were friends? Was Keyser at any of these other parties too? Why would Keyser not remember Kavanaugh at all?

    AJ_Liberty (165d19)

  54. Lots of Dr Seuss going on.

    NJRob (1d7532)

  55. Rep. Debbie Dingell says she heard of gang rapes taking place when she was in college

    these people are hilarious

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  56. Big mistake to bring in an experienced rape prosecutor to question the complaining witness. Those people, experienced rape prosecutors, have absolutely no clue on how to go about it. Only 21 Senators who have not even stepped into a courtroom in years or decades if ever, with five minutes each, are really the ones who could do this properly.

    nk (dbc370)

  57. The prosecutor knows what these two other men have said. Some of these questions may be about that — to pin down her story in a way that shows her story is consistent with what they say, too.

    DRJ (15874d)

  58. And where’s Megan Kelly to bat her eyelashes and sway her hips, eh? And they call this newsworthy!

    nk (dbc370)

  59. @46. Mitchell, Mr. Feet? She could turn this TeeVee face time into becoming a future Senator from Arizona. She is showing us she can do this part of the job the cowardly GOP senators are afraid to do.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  60. like senator carper, how about brown of ahia, of course there is actual physical evidence and 9/11 transcripts.

    narciso (d1f714)

  61. At the end, I think the GOP wants to say the evidence shows something happened to Ford but it wasn’t shown who did it, let alone that it was Kavanaugh. That way they don’t have to attack Ford, but Ford has been strong and they need to do something more.

    DRJ (15874d)

  62. nk, its too early in the morning for her and she’s probably sidled up with a prime target of the mid-2030s rehash of #MeToo as we are posting.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  63. in the Ellison case, but the press don’t speak of that,

    narciso (d1f714)

  64. They are failing to do the job they were elected to do. What cowards.

    Collaborating in a fraud contrived to gin up turn-out for the other party and outrage for “Rockefeller Republicans” is not the job they were elected to do.

    Dave (445e97)

  65. I wonder if we are about to see the Ed Whelan tweet timeline. We are.

    DRJ (15874d)

  66. These questions are starting to show where the GOP is going. Maybe those two new witnesses filled in some blanks. Did one if them drive her home?

    DRJ (15874d)

  67. Good question by Mitchell. No one from the party has corroborated her, not even the person who drove her home.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  68. And I still don’t think what was on the “pussy” tape constitutes assault. Trumps point was that they let him do anything because of his status.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  69. “You’re mischaracterizing my argument. I never said the democrats aren’t scandalous. I never said their partisans aren’t biased. I said the exact opposite of what you’re suggesting I said. I request that you correct your mischaracterization.”

    I only remember you saying the voters must ask themselves if one side was “the party of sleazy powerful men”, not both.

    If you admit that, I’ll gladly praise your clarification.

    harkin (a4b010)

  70. Looks like it’s going to be a long line of tantrums from the Democrats, and no video of Republicans being mean to Professor Ford. After that, we’ll have more professional questioning of Kavanaugh by the prosecutor, followed by a long line of Democrats asking intrusive, sneering questions of Kavanaugh. The net result of all of this–assuming a major revelation doesn’t take place that is harmful to Kavanaugh–will not be helpful to the Democrats.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  71. There’s an amazing number of recent events she was involved in, with her coming forward, etc., that she doesn’t recall.

    frosty48 (6226c1)

  72. So basically, the only time she was too afraid to fly was for the few days it would have taken her to get to DC in time to testify on Monday.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  73. sounds like the GOP got some of her social media history that she had reportedly scrubbed.

    DRJ (15874d)

  74. <blockquote

    harkin (a4b010) — 9/27/2018 @ 8:57 am

    You have further mischaracterized me by saying this was a “clarification,” implying I changed my point. I simply quoted the same comment. I can’t edit my comments. It wasn’t a clarification… you simply ignored that part. I wasn’t arguing that only the GOP is scandalous. I definitely think that when Trump’s supporters put a man in the Oval Office who had just so recently been exposed as bragging about sexual assault, that the GOP brand gained quite a problem that the democrats were naturally going to exploit. The GOP has had other sex scandals, but this is different for two reasons: one, Trump is the actual leader of the party, and two, he was elected right in the center of this issue coming up.

    Now, naturally, the voters will have to decide if the GOP represents anything moral. I have similar concerns about issues like foreign policy and spending, though that’s off topic.

    I’m still waiting for you to correct your repeat mischaracterizations of my view.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  75. They knew about her hobbies and travel, apparently from looking at her social media. And now they asked about other reasons for her PTSD and anxiety. She said she doesn’t have any other unusual risk factors.

    DRJ (15874d)

  76. Perception is reality. So far, Dr. Ford comes across as genuine; a real person; honest, sincerely trying to answer questions… and credible on the TeeVee. That’s more than half the battle.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  77. DRJ, what leads you to think they have social media?
    I’m not an attorney…that’s why I ask.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  78. They may not have her social media, Patricia. It may just be based on her CV.

    DRJ (15874d)

  79. Perception is reality. So far, Dr. Ford comes across as intentionally using a little girls voice; at the same time invoking her credentials as a doctor with some expert knowledge in trauma, etc; having a large number things she was directly involved in that she doesn’t recall, … and overall not sounding very credible on the TeeVee. That’s more than half the battle.

    frosty48 (6226c1)

  80. But they know about her hobbies and travel.

    DRJ (15874d)

  81. she scrubbed her social media cause it would’ve made her look even crazier

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  82. Her demeanor may help her with some because she comes across as easily dominated or manipulated.

    DRJ (15874d)

  83. And fragile.

    DRJ (15874d)

  84. i think voters need to assess the morality of the candidates offered, regardless of party.

    For some reason, you chose to only say voters must ask themselves if the GOP is the party of “sleazy, powerful men.”

    The problem is not mine.

    harkin (a4b010)

  85. they deleted her yearbook going back 35 years.

    narciso (d1f714)

  86. How did she know how to contact Eshoo but she did not know how to contact the president or the Senate?

    Seems like Mitchell is not following up.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  87. That’s more than half the battle.

    plus there’s no proof that anyone tried to do rape on her

    she’s just lying cause she’s a needy narcissistic fruit-loop with low self-esteem

    she probably has tons of scars from where she cuts herself

    someone should ask her to roll up her sleeves

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  88. And smart.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  89. Some will think that. She just seems weak to me.

    DRJ (15874d)

  90. Blame Trump? Give it a break. It’s the democrats for cripes sake.

    mg (9e54f8)

  91. The Washington Post must think that things are looking good for Kavanaugh because it’s calling the hearing a “sham”.

    nk (dbc370)

  92. @88. Appears quite strong by simply showing up and testifying on national television; certainly much, much stronger than the cowardly GOP senators afraid to question her.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  93. She just claimed to not have understood the crystal clear public offer to send Senate staff out to California to interview her, and her counsel is asserting privilege to keep to have to answer questions of whether she discussed the issue with them. I’m calling b****hit.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  94. sham (n.)
    1670s, “a trick, a hoax, a fraud,” also as a verb and an adjective, of uncertain origin; the words burst into use in 1677. Perhaps from sham, a northern dialectal variant of shame (n.); a derivation OED finds “not impossible.” Sense of “something meant to be mistaken for something else” is from 1728. The meaning “false front” in pillow-sham (1721) is from the notion of “counterfeit.” Related: Shammed; shamming; shammer. Shamateur “amateur sportsman who acts like a professional” is from 1896.

    nk (dbc370)

  95. blumenthal’s the dude what lied about being in the nam with me

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  96. Blumenthal has to be one of the most visibly (and demonstrably) slimy individuals to ever be a US Senator. The Stolen Honor stuff was just the most visible manifestation of that.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  97. Even if the Senate recognizes attorney-client privilege, there is an exception for attorneys and clients discussing a future crime or fraud. But, you know … is it worth the trouble to pursue it?

    nk (dbc370)

  98. The Democrats have just solidified their position as the party who will do anything and say anything, to achieve their ends. I have now decided that I will vote a straight Republican ticket for the rest of my life–I don’t care if they run Satan himself–it can’t be any worse than the disgusting, dishonest and hateful behavior that the Democrats have shown here.

    I guess we all should have paid attention when Schumer said that they would do anything to stop this nomination.

    Rochf (877dba)

  99. Why in the world is Sid Blumenthal preaching about this or anything? Why doesn’t either party just have some kind of baseline for what’s acceptable, and purge all these slimeballs? We have hundreds of millions of Americans who are more honorable than people like that.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  100. Polygraph after grandmother’s funeral would be stressful. Is that reliable? She seems an anxious person by nature.

    DRJ (15874d)

  101. you asked for this flea circus, now you aren’t amused,

    narciso (d1f714)

  102. You? Who is “you,” narciso?

    DRJ (15874d)

  103. I am not amused by any of this but I think seeing witnesses is valuable.

    DRJ (15874d)

  104. @100 DRJ Polygraph after grandmother’s funeral would be stressful. Is that reliable? She seems an anxious person by nature.

    She well may be an anxious person by nature. I don’t know how anyone could fairly speculate on that, from her testimony before the SJC in front of the nation, concerning an event of the sort she’s giving testimony on, after all the brouhaha in the media, and the threats, and upheaval in her life, and all.

    Q! (86710c)

  105. he Democrats have just solidified their position as the party who will do anything and say anything, to achieve their ends. I have now decided that I will vote a straight Republican ticket for the rest of my life–I don’t care if they run Satan himself–it can’t be any worse than the disgusting, dishonest and hateful behavior that the Democrats have shown here.

    I guess we all should have paid attention when Schumer said that they would do anything to stop this nomination.

    Rochf (877dba) — 9/27/2018 @ 9:35 am

    Who is the last democrat you voted for for Senator, Governor, or President? Sounds like this is a dramatic change of heart so I guess you supported a lot of democrats recently.

    After watching Ford, I think she was heavily coached, and I think there are moments of very obvious evasiveness where she will transition to talking about how she cried or had nervous handwriting or whatever, and then not respond to a specific question. She knows that in this process she won’t be badgered into answering a question.

    But the coaching doesn’t mean she wasn’t sexually assaulted, and the GOP is the party led by a man who brags about sexually assaulting people. It’s hard to see how that behavior isn’t equal in disgust to anything happening today. I recommend you keep an open mind to whether you’ll vote Republican in the future. Not because I’m a democrat, but because I think the real sickness here, in both parties, comes from this partisan loyalty. They don’t use that as a reason to be more ethical. They use it as cover to do the very things you’re concerned about.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  106. @91. Maybe he won’t bother to show up, then. Happy Hour is near.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  107. i love how she doesn’t know who paid the sketchy fbi polygraph guy who never even asked her whether brett kavanaugh tried to violate her sugar cookie

    yeah that seems legit

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  108. mob dons are more forthcoming, good grief, it’s like a sctv skit,

    narciso (d1f714)

  109. Q, She talked about how anxious she is about relationships, flying/travel, sitting in the parking lot calling attorneys, and taking the polygraph. I think she said she also had therapy for PTSD and anxiety. I’m sure this is stressful but she has discussed being anxious at other times in her life, too.

    DRJ (15874d)

  110. i love how she doesn’t know who paid the sketchy fbi polygraph guy who never even asked her whether brett kavanaugh tried to violate her sugar cookie

    yeah that seems legit

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 9/27/2018 @ 9:49 am

    I think they were onto something pretty important there, about how politicized this was as soon as she reached out. I found her need to talk about how she cried through the ordeal to be phony. Most of her testimony I felt she was actually being pretty direct, but she isn’t comfortable about that aspect.

    Still, I’m not sure that matters. The democrats realize there’s no secret here. They are exploiting this scandal because of the bigger picture. They don’t need to convince America they aren’t being political. They only need to convince America that Ford isn’t some cunning political operator. And she isn’t one.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  111. @104. Meh. This is Dr. Ford’s first time testifying at a hearing of the United States Senate on national television discussing a sexual assault. No biggie there. OTOH, ‘Bart O’Kavanaugh’ has been a ‘regular’ at the same kind of Washington bar & grilling for years.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  112. Didn’t she imply she has been anxious since this event at age 15?

    DRJ (15874d)

  113. But the coaching doesn’t mean she wasn’t sexually assaulted

    she’s lying about being sexually assaulted cause she’s a hateful hyper-political pussyhatter like James Comey’s wife

    this is all political!

    that’s why she didn’t even have to pay the sketchy fbi guy for the phonied-up polygraph

    that’s why they erased her social media (all of it)

    she’s just a dirty lying rape hoaxer (devaluing real rape for cheap political purposes to where now nobody believes people when they cry and cry about being raped all the time)

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  114. it’s just happens that debra katz, is in the forefront of the resistance, that she made excuses for franken as late last year, and Clinton 20 years ago, when there was actual evidence, this doesn’t pass the smell test, none of her four original witnesses confirm her story,

    narciso (d1f714)

  115. We have hundreds of millions of Americans who are more honorable than people like that.

    Dustin (ba94b2) — 9/27/2018 @ 9:38 am

    This is so true. However, because of something like today’s circus, many good and honorable people who have considered entering public service and running for office, whether local or state, will very likely be rethinking that plan. Who wants their life ripped wide open and brutally used as a political football. Because the fact of the matter is, most people, by the time they are in their 40’s, if not their 30’s, have skeletons in the closet that they would rather not see the light of day. Maybe it’s innocuous but embarrassing stuff, or stuff that reflected a lack of judgment and/or morality, or stuff that is painful to expose. Anything on this side of illegal is up for public consumption.

    Dana (023079)

  116. I would have preferred Patterico doing the cross-examination.

    AZ Bob (885937)

  117. Who paid for the polygraph test seems irrelevant. But if it is, why did she hem and haw? Why would that be important to evade? Perhaps because if her attorney paid for it, the questioner might be identified and be found wanting in some way? I don’t know. It just seems a weird question to avoid answering.

    Dana (023079)

  118. Meh. Clearly cowardly GOP senators were anxious; hence hiring Mitchell.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  119. So basically, the only time she was too afraid to fly was for the few days it would have taken her to get to DC in time to testify on Monday.

    The story I heard was that it was “misunderstood” about being afraid to fly. She was afraid to be in an enclosed space such as an airplane because she was afraid someone would try to kill her. Which of course sounds crazier. So good propaganda types put out one story in places where “conservative” news sources are likely to pick it up (“afraid to fly”), let that get around, let it soak in a bit, then a little later tell your allies the “afraid of being enclosed” followed shortly by “because someone might try to kill her”. The beauty of this method, and I’m quite certain I’ve seen it a few times now even in just the context of this story, is that it makes the people repeating the original story (your enemies) look stupid or even willfully wrong and gives your allies an unexpected retort and a way to feel all warm and fuzzy about how smart and superior they are. Of course the “afraid of being killed” sounds crazier than being afraid to fly, so you don’t release that latter information to the broader media, you keep it in the whisper sphere. Which makes those who repeat it sound even more in-the-know.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  120. Doesn’t matter that you didn’t do it, you have written proof of what you did 36 years ago, meanwhile, we split screen to keith Ellison,

    narciso (d1f714)

  121. Or defense counsel with experience defending sexual assault claims, but this is such a strange format and venue. No counsel can do much with these time limits. Mitchell has scored some points and is probably saving more points for the end. They key isn’t to show she is lying, only that she is wrong about Kavanaugh.

    DRJ (15874d)

  122. There’s a lot of Chicken Littling going on at FOX. I strongly disagree that the Republican senators would be doing a better job than the prosecutor with this–she’d just be spending more time with pauses and having her counsel pipe up if things got intense, and you’d have video of “old white male Republicans” “being mean to the witness.” It will all come down to how Kavanaugh does, and whether the Democrats manage to beclown themselves in questioning him.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  123. The grandstanding by the Democrats is incredibly sleazy. They are exploiting an alleged victim sitting right in front of them, and using her claimed suffering for their gain. Both personally and politically. This is disgraceful.

    Dana (023079)

  124. The grandstanding by the Democrats is incredibly sleazy.

    they’re thrilled and excited that she’s lying about this and they love it when she does the bit where she fakes crying

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  125. Meh. Clearly cowardly GOP senators were anxious; hence hiring Mitchell.

    Yes–how dare the Republicans hire a female professional to respectfully ask relevant questions, rather than cooperatively providing “old white male Republicans being mean to the victim” video footage? This line of whining from Democrats is utterly pathetic and disingenuous.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  126. They don’t see this hearing and their questions as exploiting her. Making her look more like a victim is the point and, to some, adds to her credibility.

    DRJ (15874d)

  127. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Wednesday announced that he’s seeking an injunction in federal court designed to stop a final vote on Brett Kavanaugh, asserting an obstruction of his constitutional duty to advise and consent on nominees.

    Article 1 Section 5
    Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

    The court should dismiss before lunch.

    https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/26/merkley-injunction-stop-kavanaugh-vote-843080

    Neo (d1c681)

  128. @109 DRJ … I’m sure this is stressful but she has discussed being anxious at other times in her life, too.

    Okie-doke. When you wrote … She seems an anxious person by nature . . . I understood you to be referring directly to your perception of her regarding her demeanor “on the stand”. Hence my comment. If you were giving voice to a broader perception or judgment in your first post, I “stand corrected”, as it were.

    Q! (86710c)

  129. However, because of something like today’s circus, many good and honorable people who have considered entering public service and running for office, whether local or state, will very likely be rethinking that plan

    Dana, you’re right. I think about Ted Cruz, a guy who could have just remained Solicitor General or transitioned to private practice, and instead, he gets to see his crying child on social media, his dad is disgraced in the eyes of millions of Trump fans, his wife is insulted, and when he goes to dinner some lefty protestors make it miserable. Our best and brightest are going to put their family ahead of their personal ambitions for political power.

    Trump, Sid, Hillary, etc. They are symptoms of our culture for sleaze, for anger, for righteously laughing at weirdos on Maury Povich or American Idol.

    she’s lying about being sexually assaulted cause she’s a hateful hyper-political pussyhatter like James Comey’s wife

    Happyfeet, what if she’s telling the truth? You gotta try to be better. Ever since I saw the GOP turn into a monster, basically, which is how I see Trump’s nomination, I’ve been trying to be better about seeing the other perspective. Giving the other point of view the benefit of the doubt. It’s not easy to do, and I think many aspects of our culture have programmed Americans to be led by the nose on partisanship. Corruption thrives on hateful partisanship. It’s the easiest deflection in the world.

    I give a quote of Trump, and it’s ignored and dismissed with some complaint about Ted Kennedy. That’s how they do it. That’s why you hate this woman that you don’t actually know.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  130. “than the cowardly GOP senators afraid to question her”

    Do you think we are learning more clarifying details from the prosecutor’s questions…or from the emoting by the Democrat Senators? Also, if the GOP senators questioned her, wouldn’t you just change your tact to say how mean they were? Come on….be honest with us….

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  131. I remember watching the Thomas-Hill hearings. She was credible. Minds are largely made up in hearings like this but how many people come forward to support them also matters. To our knowledge, she doesn’t have anyone.

    DRJ (15874d)

  132. The grandstanding by the Democrats is incredibly sleazy. They are exploiting an alleged victim sitting right in front of them, and using her claimed suffering for their gain. Both personally and politically. This is disgraceful.

    Dana (023079) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:02 am

    Yes. I’m basically done with the GOP, but I keep having this thought about how cynical and dark the democrats have been in this matter. I believe something bad happened to Dr. Ford, and that her suffering has been magnified just to time the scandal a little better. It’s really sad to watch, both the Trump fan anger at her, and the democrats rubbing their hands together over her anguish.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  133. I based my statement on the things she has testified to in this hearing, Q.

    DRJ (15874d)

  134. @123. And cowardly GOP senators, fearful of talking ’bout sexual assault with a real, live, woman, face to face, forfeited their opportunities for any rebuttal by sub-contacting their jobs out.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  135. I find the woman wholly credible.

    JRH (388b2c)

  136. She has said several times she is anxious about things, and Mitchell even asked her what things made her anxious. Ford replied she might be anxious by biology and from the incident when she was 15.

    DRJ (15874d)

  137. And fragile.

    DRJ (15874d) — 9/27/2018 @ 9:20 am

    Fragile or unstable? Perpetual victim?

    NJRob (11d724)

  138. @123. And cowardly GOP senators, fearful of talking ’bout sexual assault with a real, live, woman, face to face, forfeited their opportunities for any rebuttal by sub-contacting their jobs out.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:09 am

    No one who isn’t a partisan is going to care about that. It’s great they got a specialist. I do not care that it made their lives easier. I care that it did a better job. I do not care that the democrats lost an opportunity to run attack ads about senators. And they didn’t forfeit an opportunity by delegating it.

    Delegating is a great thing to do if you think someone else can do a better job. It doesn’t make someone lesser to admit this reality. It makes them lesser if they fall for the ‘chicken! squawk squawk!’ argument they should do it themselves.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  139. I find the woman wholly credible.

    JRH (388b2c) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:10 am

    I also think she sounds credible. Except this isn’t about whether she sounds credible or whether appears sincere. It’s about corroboration of her allegations. Its about providing evidence of her claim.

    Dana (023079)

  140. Fragile or unstable? Perpetual victim?

    NJRob (11d724) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:12 am

    Why does being fragile or unstable lead to perpetual victim? I know you are asking DRJ for clarification, but I wonder why the two descriptions are concluded by a guess of being a perpetual victim.

    Dana (023079)

  141. Neo, at 127: yeah, i posted that in one of the other threads yesterday. I don’t see how the courts have the power to order the Senate to not vote on something if the Senate wants to.

    aphrael (3f0569)

  142. @130. Be honest with yourself; it’s self-evident: the cowardly GOP senators are not doing the job they were hired and are paid to do; they were afraid of the TeeVee optics of icky sexual assault talk w/a woman on national television, so they subcontracted it out. And the irony is, so far, Mitchell has not asked any question the senators themselves could not have asked.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  143. At this point in the “hearing,” given what we’ve heard, does it make you think that there should be an FBI investigation and/or that Mark Judge should be subpoenaed?

    Dana (023079)

  144. I see her as anxious, fragile and emotional but not unstable. Those qualities can be associated with instability but I don’t think she is showing that. She is prepared, but that may change if Mitchell can asked her more questions she isn’t prepared for.

    DRJ (15874d)

  145. This is so true. However, because of something like today’s circus, many good and honorable people who have considered entering public service and running for office, whether local or state, will very likely be rethinking that plan.

    Perhaps we should take a cue from the Ottoman Turks and start raising eunuchs again.

    At this rate, I don’t see how the next male with a normal libido could ever be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

    Dave (445e97)

  146. @138. Disagree. Americans elected these people and PAY them to do this kind of work. It’s not always going to be pleasant. When the going gets a little tough, the cowardly GOP senators bailed.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  147. The GOP Senators would never have asked these questions. They would have spent half of each question period pontificating or talking about how they care about sexual assault victims.

    DRJ (15874d)

  148. Good legal questioning will be boring until it scores points.

    DRJ (15874d)

  149. Mitchell has not asked any question the senators themselves could not have asked.

    Yep, and she’s doing it in a professional and respectful way that is totally unhelpful to DNC propaganda videos. Cry me a river.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  150. @138. Disagree. Americans elected these people and PAY them to do this kind of work. It’s not always going to be pleasant. When the going gets a little tough, the cowardly GOP senators bailed.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:21 am

    Yeah, like I said, this is an unserious argument, intended to poke at egos and insult people, and not intended in any way, shape, or form to get to the truth.

    That this made life easier for the Senators is not relevant. Often times a good example of leadership will also make work easier. I’m OK with that. I used to work for the House Judiciary Committee back when I was actually a Republican. They pay for a lot of lawyers. They pay for them whether the lawyers directly interact at hearings or not. I’m pleased that the GOP used a specialist. I recognize that this deprives the Democrats of an opportunity. Indeed, I suspect you would not be giving the Senators much credit for doing the questioning themselves if they slipped up in how they did it.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  151. The GOP Senators would never have asked these questions. They would have spent half of each question period pontificating or talking about how they care about sexual assault victims.

    Absolutely! They would have raised the bar of grandstanding and made the Dems up their game. This is so foul. Anyone who thinks they wouldn’t sink as low in this regard as those across the aisle is seeing R’s through rose-colored glasses. At the end of the day, politicians are just that.

    Dana (023079)

  152. @133 DJR I based my statement on the things she has testified to in this hearing, Q

    Okie-doke. I don’t recall her giving testimony on how she is generally anxious re: flying/travel, but maybe I “missed” that. And whether I missed that testimony or not, perhaps she is. I just don’t know.

    As to her sitting trying to engage an attorney re: possible SJC testimony -slash- going public, or the polygraph – those all are pretty directly related to anxiety concerning a “re-living / re-visiting” of the event. Likewise, re: “relationships”, I don’t recall her giving testimony that at this general stage of her life, she has any unusual level of anxiety re: relationships (whatever it is that you mean by “relationships”). But perhaps I “missed” that as well. Could well be, I suppose.

    Q! (86710c)

  153. Yeah, like I said, this is an unserious argument, intended to poke at egos and insult people, and not intended in any way, shape, or form to get to the truth.

    +1

    Dave (445e97)

  154. Blumenthal sounds like someone playing Grima Wormtongue in a third rate stage production of The Lord of the Rings.”

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  155. @147. Possibly. but that’s an assumption on your part. They have no problem asking questions on less ‘icky issues.’ Staff prepares them. It’s their job and they aren’t doing it. But they sure find words and squawk to reporters dashing to the restrooms and cafeteria.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  156. Dana,

    I think Mark Judge should obviously be subpoenaed. I think he knows a lot more about these parties. Sadly, I think some of the issues here are whether Kavanaugh did a certain act, rather than whether that act happened, so Mark Judge’s ability to help is pretty clear.

    I don’t understand the necessity of an FBI investigation because I don’t think there’s enough detail to the accusation to reach criminal law standards of evidence. If that changes, absolutely I support some law enforcement agency and some prosecutor going forward, but I don’t think the FBI needs to get involved with confirmation hearings. That seems like an effort to prolong the scandal more than anything else.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  157. The Democratic Senators entered letters supporting Ford into the record. The GOP can do that, too, with letters from Kavanaugh’s friends. Also, the Committee Chair can offer statements, including the letters from Judge, Mith, and Keyser (who Ford said were at the party) who say nothing happened. That will be the big finish that helps Kavanaugh. There may be live witnesses, too.

    DRJ (15874d)

  158. @150. It’s most decidedly is a serious and legitimate argument, particularly to the taxpayers paying their salaries. That you disagree is your privilege. Have a good day.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  159. Judge testifying would be a disaster for Kavanaugh because that would make the focus the permissive culture at elite schools in general and Georgetown Prep in particular. That is inflammatory in a way that unfairly prejudices Kavanaugh.

    DRJ (15874d)

  160. @150. It’s most decidedly is a serious and legitimate argument, particularly to the taxpayers paying their salaries. That you disagree is your privilege. Have a good day.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:32 am

    I am having a delightful day and I hope you are as well.

    But the taxpayers are already paying for a bunch of lawyers too, so this argument is a weak one. The same people demanding a huge investigation, one that would cost millions, are mad that questions were handled in the most professional way possible due to the expense?

    I’m sorry, but this is just not reasonable. You got better, more respectful questions. You got a better bang for your buck. You only missed out on one of the most cynical requests from Ford and the democrats as they ‘negotiated’ with the American people about whether they would deign to even testify: that the Senators look bad on TV.

    At any rate, the people running the committee get to… run it. They made the decision and if you don’t like it, then your answer is simply to vote the way you were going to vote anyway.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  161. As a licensed and apparently well trained psychologist who educates/trains others, she didn’t seem to treat her “trauma” in a clinical sense of the word. Isn’t suppression the exact wrong reaction? Wouldn’t she know that?

    Patrick (1fdcd2)

  162. I haven’t been watching the hearing – have they pressed her on the fact that her “lifelong friend” who was allegedly there says it never happened, and that she’s never even met Kavanaugh?

    Dave (445e97)

  163. The next three Democrats are Senator “Shut up, men!” Senator Spartaputz, and Senator Harris. Clownshow time.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  164. @160. Except it’s not. Take care.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  165. Judge testifying would be a disaster for Kavanaugh because that would make the focus the permissive culture at elite schools in general and Georgetown Prep in particular. That is inflammatory in a way that unfairly prejudices Kavanaugh.

    DRJ (15874d) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:35 am

    With all due respect, I think that culture is a scandal in its own right. I think it should make Kavanaugh look terrible. I want the high school kids and college kids getting wasted at parties to think about how their decisions with sex and alcohol matter, even if they are tell eachother they will have lots of confidentiality about it. This is an aspect of American culture I would be delighted to see discussed.

    Now you do have a great point. If we’re talking about whether or not Kavanaugh actually sexually assaulted this woman, then bringing in a lot of other matters clouds that up really badly. I guess we’ll see what Kavanaugh has to say about this drinking.

    —-

    Oh no it’s Hirono. She’s the worst one.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  166. Wow. Senator “Shut Up Men!” is throwing a tantrum over the gentle questioning Professor Ford has received so far. What a credit to the Senate she is.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  167. They have not asked her those questions, Dave. More preliminary questions.

    DRJ (15874d)

  168. Mark Judge like any guy his age, wanted to impress woman, it’s dubious that she ever crossed his mind, like that piece in liberty island about the fourth of july, now this star chamber, is to lay down the law, that the auto de fe, be final,

    narciso (d1f714)

  169. Judge testifying would be a disaster for Kavanaugh because that would make the focus the permissive culture at elite schools in general and Georgetown Prep in particular. That is inflammatory in a way that unfairly prejudices Kavanaugh.

    Exactly–the whole point of getting Mark Judge there is to make Kavanaugh look bad by association.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  170. What are reasonable options for how she would have got back and forth from such a party? There’s walking, biking, bus, getting a ride from a friend (who?), or getting a ride from a parent (unlikely, if she did not want them to know this was a drinking party with boys). Would she have walked or biked ~6 miles?

    How did “extremely drunk” boys sneak up behind Ford when she went upstairs to go to the bathroom? If they weren’t already in the bedroom….where were they relative to the bathroom? Where was the bathroom relative to the stairs (was it not at the top of the stairs?)? Why didn’t she use the downstairs bathroom? No loud music downstairs or TV blaring sounds inconsistent with high schoolers hanging out…especially ones described as extremely drunk….and why would Judge and Kavanaugh be upstairs in a bedroom with the stereo on…what was going on at the party….why did she go….who was she interested in if she went? I have a hard time believing 15yr olds go long distances to hang out with people she hardly knew….without some interest in one of the boys or with getting drunk

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  171. like duke lacrosse, uva, columbia, those are the more notable examples,

    narciso (d1f714)

  172. Americans want to believe and help victims. Kavanaugh will have to help himself in his testimony.

    DRJ (15874d)

  173. I also think she sounds credible. Except this isn’t about whether she sounds credible or whether appears sincere. It’s about corroboration of her allegations. Its about providing evidence of her claim.

    Dana (023079) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:14 am

    I’m not sure that is what it’s about. I think that’s why she and others wanted an FBI investigation. It might be their job to find evidence and corroborate claims.

    JRH (388b2c)

  174. Then they should have provided this claim to the Committee in July or August.

    DRJ (15874d)

  175. Dustin (ba94b2) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:29 am

    I think Mark Judge should obviously be subpoenaed. I think he knows a lot more about these parties.

    If there’s any truth to this at all. yes, I feel that way, too. he needs to testify, and should be offered immunity if that is necessary. And also the guy Ed Whelan named, who Christine Blasey Ford said is really the guy who introduced her to both Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh. (this even brings up the thought: Did he identify someone else as Brett Kavanaugh? As a joke. I mean that kind of thing is possible. I don’t know whether that’s too farfetched to consider.)

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  176. Exactly–the whole point of getting Mark Judge there is to make Kavanaugh look bad by association.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:40 am

    That wasn’t why I want him to testify. He’s directly referenced “Bart O’Kavanaugh” and his behavior. I really think he knows if Kavanaugh was sleeping with drunk women, or otherwise doing the things this hearing is about. He’s got some of the best evidence.

    Mark Judge like any guy his age, wanted to impress woman

    Not any guy. Just the slimeballs.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  177. Katz paid for polygraph.

    Dana (023079)

  178. She’s supposed to be a trained psychological professional and can’t answer basic questions like if anyone spoke to a Congressional aide for her?

    NJRob (1d7532)

  179. She’s being evasive right now.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  180. And here comes Senator Spartaputz whining about this not being a courtroom procedure. Let’s see if he remembers that when Kavanaugh is in that chair.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  181. I don’t understand the necessity of an FBI investigation because I don’t think there’s enough detail to the accusation to reach criminal law standards of evidence.

    Democrats are pretending the FBI has some kind of magic ability to sort out the truth.

    The FBI does not investigate things that are not federal crimes, except maybe at the request of a state. It does do background investigations, since the 1940s I think, but never looks into anything that happened before a person turned 18. Except date and place of birth and such things.

    President George Bush the Elder called in the FBI in 1991 in order to possibly dismiss the accusations! So the Senate would not have to take it up. That is all the FBI could do

    The FBI never (except for James Comey with regard to Hillary Clinton where they hae been trying to fool us into thinking this is normal) pronounces guilt or innocence of anybody, and when it comes to background invetigations, they do not make determinations of truth or falsity. They said so in astatement the other day.

    They can maybe contact more witnesses, but the most they could do, I think, is say something appears to be unsubstantiated or that it’s worth further investigation.

    the FBI can only dismiss something and this is past being dismissed.

    The Democrats would have us believe the FBI has a special ability the Senate does not have to find out just when Mark Judge worked at a certain store. I think they are pointing to that. (Christine Blasey Ford sounded so unclear on this – she said the IRS would have records – it’s the Social Security Department.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  182. Two lives have been upended, Spartacus.

    Dana (023079)

  183. Spartaputz sucking up to Flake now. How touching.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  184. When I watch senators grandstanding, I am reminded how great it is that the GOP didn’t do that.

    I think we should just stop having Senators talk so much at these hearings. We should have an expert for each side do professional interactions more often.

    Not trying to be disrespectful to DCSCA, but it’s really tedious hearing Booker preen on and on, with zero movement made towards understanding the actual subject of the hearing. Like 99% of congressional hearings.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  185. Then they should have provided this claim to the Committee in July or August.

    DRJ (15874d) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:43 am

    It’s my understanding that she tried to voice her concerns before he was the nominee. She contacted WaPo July 6. She said it was her preference to talk to a congressperson. I don’t know why she wasnt able to contact the congressperson, or why Feinstein sat on the info so long.

    JRH (388b2c)

  186. Fragile or unstable? Perpetual victim?
    NJRob

    I agree, like a person who nourishes every wound in life she has ever experienced, all to play the victim when it comes in handy.

    And remember she is a very experienced psychologist. I remember the time I played another woman for the league victory. She had a huge knee brace on and would grimace when she ran for a shot. Of course it threw me off and I lost. She laughed about it later, as she removed the brace. “Hey, I use what I got!”

    Patricia (3363ec)

  187. Judge testifying would be a disaster for Kavanaugh because that would make the focus the permissive culture at elite schools in general and Georgetown Prep in particular.

    I have to say, I am really traumatized by these revelations.

    Probably the best thing that happened to me in my life was getting a scholarship to the most “elite” prep school in the Detroit area, during the same era (Class of ’80) as Kavanaugh and Ford.

    We didn’t have gang rape parties, in fact the rules at my school were so strict you would be expelled if a teacher saw you smoking a cigarette.

    Even it was off-campus, and during summer vacation.

    Talking in study hall would get you “work squad” – showing up at 8am on a weekend to spend hours scraping chewing gum off the undersides of desks and similar gruesome tasks. References to alcohol or drugs in the school yearbook would have been unthinkable (and doubtless gotten the Yearbook faculty advisor summarily fired). This wasn’t a military or boarding school, either – it was a day school like Georgetown Prep.

    Our biggest accomplishment on student council during my senior year was getting the rules changed to allow blue jeans to be worn at school dances and football games…

    Dave (445e97)

  188. JRH, she said she didn’t know how to contact the senate or the president.

    Not credible.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  189. @184. Not trying to be disrespectful to DCSCA, but it’s really tedious hearing Booker preen on and on, with zero movement made towards understanding the actual subject of the hearing. Like 99% of congressional hearings.

    On that we can agree. Kirk’s the one and only Spartacus. Douglas should sue. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  190. The FBI cannot force anyone to talk to them any more than the WashingtonN Post can – they can’t subpoena anybody – only a grand jury or a Congressional committee can. Theer was no grand jury used in the Clinton email investigation.

    I suspect, that her original version of her story, contained in her therapists notes which her attorneys will not release and Blasey Ford is so uncertain about what she showed the Washington Post reporter, would indicate this happened around 1984 or maybe 1983. In her “Late teens.”

    She now says she spoke it to her therapist(s) many times. That was one of my questions. So that minimizes the possibility of her therapist getting a detail like that wrong. She said she spoke about it many times – it’s just that it is only mentioned two times in the notews because she says notes don’t focus on that. OK.

    If she needs employment records she doesn’t know when this event occurred, maybe she needed to know Brett Kavanaugh’s educational history to pin this dowwn into 1982.

    She says she doesn’t remember how she got home. In all probability she drove a car. But that would probably push this out of the time when BK was in Maryland. Her handlers and her lawyerrs are confusing her a lot.

    She was born in November 1966 (Wikipedia does not have the date of the month!) That means she couldn’t have had a car until November 1982. In November 1982, Brett Kavanaugh (born February 12, 1965) was still in the Washington, D.C. area. So June 1983 is possible, as Brett Kavanaugh left for Yale in the fall of 1983.

    It’s not clear why she ruled out 1983. That would make her almost 17. Could be “late teens.” Maybe her lawyers and handlers know something that rules out 1983.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  191. Why does being fragile or unstable lead to perpetual victim? I know you are asking DRJ for clarification, but I wonder why the two descriptions are concluded by a guess of being a perpetual victim.

    Dana (023079) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:15 am

    From my experience, unstable people like to claim victimhood status because it relieves their responsibility for their own life and behavior.

    NJRob (1d7532)

  192. @188. Sure it is. Not everybody knows how to go about that- particularly regarding a subject like this; many Americans aren’t even aware of who their senators and congresscritters are.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  193. 188. Patricia (3363ec) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:58 am

    JRH, she said she didn’t know how to contact the senate or the president.

    Not credible

    well, you’d expect an educated person with aPH.D degree to be abel to research that.

    She contacted only Democrats. She says at first she wanted to stop his nomination. Then she went public because it was leaked and reporters were badgering her.

    She says she’s not a pawn but she’s proving that she is.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  194. I agree, Sammy. That was my point.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  195. Since I was never a Kavanaugh fan, maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but I wanted Amy Coney Barrett. Of course, the Democrats would be against her, but she’s not another OFWG from Yale, and in this #meat2 time, she’s probably not going to have those issues at least.

    And I’m really struck by the yearbook, in general. What administration would let that crap into their yearbook? It can obviously be a problem for any Georgetown Prep grad. Did none of those boys parents see the prior yearbooks and not slap their kid in the head? I just can’t understand it, I’m only 3 years younger than Kavanaugh, and I can say that we had many parties, and much drinking, but I’d never, for even a second, thought about putting anything so self-limiting in my yearbook, and there was zero chance that staff would have let it in any way.

    Colonel Klink (9e4613)

  196. there’s no way you can get to Fiola and back in 30 min

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  197. Her lawyers interrupted two questions claiming attorney client privilege.

    The privilege belongs to the clieent not to the lawyer!

    Yes, she can’t be forced to answer any such quesitons, but she can’t be forced to answer any questions. She’s appearing there voluntarily!

    One question her lawyer stopped was about whether she knew or didn’t know that the senate committee had offered to go out there to California. Another one, I think, was about who paid for the polygraph test. She didn’t know – probably genuinely. Which indicates she;s being used.

    Rush Limbaugh said she made it sound scary while Fox News had someone on who said it consisted of just two questions.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  198. And the penny drops. She’s pointing out that Ford pursued this in a way that seemed designed to result in hearings like this, not to find out what happened.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  199. @188. Sure it is. Not everybody knows how to go about that- particularly regarding a subject like this; many Americans aren’t even aware of who their senators and congresscritters are.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 11:02 am

    She has a PHD. She’s clearly intelligent. She couldn’t google “How do I reach my senator?” Really?

    This took me one second to find.

    Common sense that anyone who can navigate their way to a PHD can search how to email their senator.

    She absolutely has been misleading about how she’s been managed, who communicated with her, how this was funded, etc.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  200. is coca-cola doing rape hoax product placement now?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  201. @199. Again, consider the topic in play; not everybody is willing to pick up the phone and call their local congresscritters office and chat about a sexual assault on the phone or ink a letter w/o some kind of confidentially involved. She didn’t know just how to go about it and that seems perfectly reasonable for anybody to ponder, regardless of your position on this issue.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  202. too bad Kavanaugh didn’t go to your school, Dave. Unfortunately some rich kids that go to elite schools aren’t as well-behaved or make good choices with their parents’ money.

    DRJ (15874d)

  203. 170. AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 9/27/2018 @ 10:40 am

    170.What are reasonable options for how she would have got back and forth from such a party? There’s walking, biking, bus, getting a ride from a friend (who?), or getting a ride from a parent (unlikely, if she did not want them to know this was a drinking party with boys). Would she have walked or biked ~6 miles?

    She drove a car but has become convoinced that it can’t be truth because for some reason, she’s been convinced that it happened before her 16th birthday although that is not consistent with her therapists notes. Or she’s just lying. But she seems honest. Not so her handlers.

    How did “extremely drunk” boys sneak up behind Ford when she went upstairs to go to the bathroom? If they weren’t already in the bedroom….where were they relative to the bathroom?

    She doesn’t say. She says the boys were behind her.

    Where was the bathroom relative to the stairs (was it not at the top of the stairs?)?

    She said she could give a sketch of the house. she seemed to say the bathroom and the bedroom were wuite close to each other.

    Why didn’t she use the downstairs bathroom?

    better question: How did she know there was a bathroom upstairs?

    Look, at a minimum this took place in 1983, not 1982, and she’s become really, really confused by her lawyers and handlers. I suspect that somehow 1983 is impossible.

    No loud music downstairs or TV blaring sounds inconsistent with high schoolers hanging out…

    She now says this was more of a gathering than a party. It was a pre-party, she says, and the boys were going to go somewhere else. And she had to leave early because she was so young. But she wasn’t, because she must have had a car. Well even at age 16 she might have had to get back home.

    especially ones described as extremely drunk….and why would Judge and Kavanaugh be upstairs in a bedroom with the stereo on…what was going on at the party…

    There was no party, she says.

    why did she go….who was she interested in if she went? I have a hard time believing 15yr olds go long distances to hang out with people she hardly knew….without some interest in one of the boys or with getting drunk

    well, first of all, this wasn’t in 1982 if it happened at all. For some reason her lawyers have convinced her it was 1982.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  204. She did end up calling her local Congressional rep’s office. She also said she discussed her problem with the receptionist. She testified about both today.

    DRJ (15874d)

  205. Lindsey Graham has missed his calling; dinner theatre.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  206. Colonel Klink (9e4613) — 9/27/2018 @ 11:06 am

    And I’m really struck by the yearbook, in general. What administration would let that crap into their yearbook?

    That one. And maybe oters.

    A possible explanation is that some of the people running it were pedophiles (MArk drudge wrote in his 2005 book that some of them were homosexuals) having sex with some of the boys.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  207. 204. Meh. Well, it’s half-time, DRJ. Majorette Lindsey Graham is leading the band on the TeeVee field now; time to hit the bathroom, make more popcorn and get set for the second half.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  208. DCSCA, do n’t you believe training matters at NASA … or can anyone be an astrophysicist or astronaut with no training?

    Can everyone do their own surgery or should we go to a trained surgeon when we need surgery?

    With that in mind …

    Do you think litigators and prosecutors might have more experience and training in knowing how to interrogate someone?

    DRJ (15874d)

  209. I mean Mark Judge.

    In this book

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_and_Man_at_Georgetown_Prep

    He laments that at Georgetown Preparatory School during his time as a student there, the faculty appeared to embrace sexuality and New Age views in favor of Catholic doctrine.[3] Judge writes that the faculty at Georgetown Prep contained a multitude of homosexual priests.[15][22][5]

    so I suppose some could have been pedophiles, so they let anything into the yearbook.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  210. People seem to be sold on her “credibility,” and believe that that is enough when coupled with the near-deification of sexual assault survivors. There is little to no interest in substantiation of claims and corroboration of her statements.

    Also, when committee members have already said they believe her before even hearing any rebuttal from Kavanaugh, how am I to believe they are politicians who want to represent all of their constituents? Especially those aiming their sights on the presidency.

    Dana (023079)

  211. Lindsey Graham just gave a strong post-hearing statement.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  212. she’s even less believable than the Roy Moore rape hoaxers cause her rape hoax story didn’t happen behind a dumpster

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  213. And the penny drops. She’s pointing out that Ford pursued this in a way that seemed designed to result in hearings like this, not to find out what happened.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32) — 9/27/2018 @ 11:12 am

    #1 When I google forensic interview, almost every result has to do with Children, child abuse, and child welfare. The ones that mention adults mention vulnerable adults or older adults. Additionally, the interview seems to be associated with gathering info to press criminal charges or to protect vulnerable indivduals. None of that quite seems pertinent to what Blasey-Ford was doing.

    #2 In Ford’s mind, she knew what happened, which was that she was assaulted by BK. That was the pertinent info, and her goal was to get that info out.

    #3 If there was no interest in finding out what happened, they wouldn’t want an FBI investigation.

    #4 the criticism of not wanting to find out what happened can be levelled at Republicans who don’t want and FBI investigation and who don’t want to question Mark Judge.

    JRH (388b2c)

  214. is coca-cola doing rape hoax product placement now?

    Nah, they only work with bona fide, self-admitted sexual predators.

    Remember, “It’s the reeeee-aaaaal thing!”

    Dave (445e97)

  215. @205 Lindsey Graham has missed his calling; dinner theatre.

    Bad dinner theater. Lindsey is, I’m sad to say, a lick-spittle sad little excuse of a major enabler and excuser (speaking of DJT), and did not cover himself in glory re: his “cognitive -slash- legal resolution” of the Ford-Kavanaugh dispute, in light of his remarks re: Ford’s testimony.

    Q! (86710c)

  216. There is little to no interest in substantiation of claims and corroboration of her statements.

    Right. Did HE do it? She’s not upset over nothing, and she has some real credibility, but she’s been unable to answer basic stuff that happened very recently, like who did she talk to, did she share the notes with the press, etc. Is she pointing the finger at the right person?

    The democrats’ plan is so clear. They will go on and on about how it’s the GOP’s fault that there wasn’t an investigation, how that amounts to a cover up, and therefore Kavanaugh probably did it.

    A lot of people are looking at Kavanaugh’s (R) and becoming absolutely convinced he is guilty. The same thing has gotten innocent people in prison when an eyewitness made a mistake in identification. And we’re going to hear so much that if you don’t believe every detail of her memory, you are doing something evil.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  217. NYT Opinion
    @nytopinion

    Christine Blasey Ford is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee today.
    Do you find her testimony credible?

    0 Yes
    0 No
    0 Unsure

    __ _

    [Thousands who have been screeching that Kavanaugh is a rapist and a liar go ape.]
    __ _

    NYT Opinion

    @nytopinion
    We’re sorry for this tweet. In retrospect, a Twitter poll is insensitive in light of the gravity of this hearing. We’ve deleted it.

    __ _

    Lol

    harkin (a4b010)

  218. Exactly, Dana. Everybody’s story is credible until cross-examination, which is not allowed here because she’s a woman, “a survivor” of high school.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  219. A lot of people are looking at Kavanaugh’s (R) and becoming absolutely convinced he is guilty.

    that’s exactly what dirty Mitt Romney did to Roy Moore

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  220. @213. Meh. Lindsey doesn’t seem to believe the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, should get into this cause they won’t find nothing.

    Sounds familiar; history rhymes.

    “And, ah because these people are plugging for, for keeps and that they should call the FBI in and say that we wish for the country, don’t go any further into this case”, period!” – Richard Nixon, Watergate ‘smoking gun tape,’ June 23, 1972

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  221. I find her credible. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t really matter if she can’t offer anything more than an emotions (which is understandable). It’s just not enough. Not when a man’s future is on the line, and that of his family as well. There must be a demand for substantiation, otherwise, if her emotional responses, even filled with holes and gaps, are accepted as any kind of substantiation, then every man – both left and right – is vulnerable to being found “guilty upon accusation” . This is such a dangerous path we’re on. All of us have men in our lives, and none of us wants to see such a broad brushing become the determining factor in their lives.

    Dana (023079)

  222. that’s exactly what dirty Mitt Romney did to Roy Moore

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 9/27/2018 @ 11:48 am

    No it’s not. Mitt Romney did not assume the guilt of someone on the opposing political party, against his complete denial of creepy conduct. In fact, everything about your comparison fails. Romney opposed someone in his own party, after that person confessed to at minimum doing some really creepy and bizarre stuff that normal, mentally healthy adults do not do. I’ve never made a secret that I don’t think much of Romney, particularly as a presidential candidate, but Roy Moore was a loser.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  223. 212, and dont forget Coke also gets pushed by those that maintained their innocence but were nonetheless found guilty by a jury of their peers.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  224. @212. Meh. What did it do for cigars, post-Clinton; It’s Pepsi! ‘For Those Who Think Young.’ 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  225. With that, I believe Ford was victimized. Based on what we saw this morning, I just don’t believe, at this point in time, that Kavanaugh was her abuser. Maybe this afternoon will shed more light on things, but I think at this point, Dems will do nothing but focus on how much of a drunk he was, how he was a typical rich party kid, etc. They will provide no more substantiation than did Ford.

    Dana (023079)

  226. During a break in testimony, Republican Sen. Sasse, who defered his questions to a prosecutor in the hearing, walked up to Dr. Ford and shook her hand.

    he’s a disgrace even by the standards of the trash that graduate from harvard

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  227. I’m still amazed at the Times backing away from their poll.

    They’ve been questioning BK’s credibility for weeks and now no one can voice opinion on the credibility of a PhD who said she didn’t know how to contact the White House or her Senator.

    harkin (a4b010)

  228. Lots of crowing in the thread about how Trump is a “bona fide sexual assaulter” when none of the claims against him have proven anything but consensuality at the time of the act.

    Celebrity and due process, how does it even work?


    Erick Erickson
    ‏Verified account @EWErickson
    2h2 hours ago

    Most interesting dynamic today to me is that my male Republican friends think Kavanaugh is toast now and my female Republican friends think Ford is a liar and Kav should be confirmed.

    There is a Collins and a Murkowski. There is only one Flake.

    Professor Squirrel (9413c5)

  229. Lots of crowing in the thread about how Trump is a “bona fide sexual assaulter” when none of the claims against him have proven anything but consensuality at the time of the act.

    Are you Christoph? Have you ever expressed views in support of Neo Nazis? Why are you making such extreme efforts to conceal your IP address?

    “I did try and f— her. She was married. I moved on her like a b—-. But I couldn’t get there. I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. Grab ’em by the p—-. You can do anything.”

    Grabbing people sexually without their consent because they let “stars” get away with sexual assault is proof of a lack of consent. There is no honest debate that Trump bragged about sexually assaulting people. Indeed, one of the worst claims about Trump is a very detailed report of forcible rape, by one of the wives who accused Trump of emotional and physical abuse. Thank you for bringing this up!

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  230. Excellent final round from Mitchell as to the process of getting to the truth of sexual assault memories.

    Overall, I found her “little girl” act and her intentional obtuseness to be deflections and not merely coping mechanisms.

    We simply can NOT allow this “She said, He said.” derail such an important nomination. Nothing substantial, beyond the assertion of possible and more contemporaneous discussion with her husband, cane out. Not from 36 years ago.

    I do wish Mitchell would have asked why Ford remained silent when BK stood for the DC Circuit position.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  231. Overall, I found her “little girl” act and her intentional obtuseness to be deflections and not merely coping mechanisms.

    she’s obviously very very willing to do dirty and dishonest things for money

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  232. @219. That’s an honest response, Dana.

    OTOH, it may just be enough. And if it ends up going down that path, there’s only one person to blame in the end, Kavanaugh himself. Had he come out of the gate and honestly made it clear who he was in his youth and not tried or let himself be sold as some kind of church-going choirboy, did some really stupid stuff and grown up, matured into a responsible adult, we’d be in a much different place now. It comes down to assessing his character– and it doesn’t seem to be as stellar as he wanted Americans to believe.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  233. We’ve already heard several of the D’s say they’ve made up their mind. Of course the same ones then say we also need an FBI investigation, we need to delay the vote they’ve already decided on, etc.

    frosty48 (6226c1)

  234. i can’t stand with dirty filth like Mitt Romney who like to smear people, to destroy their lives amd careers, with no evidence

    that’s not who i am and it’s not how i was raised to treat people

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  235. *and* careers I mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  236. number one it’s not what i believe in my hypertitmouse

    number too it’s morally wrong to bear false witness on people (bible wrong)

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  237. *two*

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  238. “well, first of all, this wasn’t in 1982 if it happened at all. For some reason her lawyers have convinced her it was 1982”

    It does seem more plausible that she would have driven herself to the pool and then to the “gathering” (this eliminates the need for a friend to drive her and who she then can’t account for at the “gathering”)….and that would certainly make summer 1983 to be the only realistic choice. Again, this assumes she got her license by that point….had access to a car….and her parents would have allowed her. All points that could be verified.

    I’m still troubled as to why she was at the “gathering” at all….if she was not interested in one of the boys…or had some deeper connection. It sounded like she knew that Keyser and Judge would be there. Was she interested in Judge? Was she not bothered to see him extremely intoxicated? Why did she stick around….especially if she didn’t know those at the party very well? This doesn’t sound to me like normal teenager behavior. If her click overlapped with Kavanaugh’s click, why hasn’t anyone from either click confirmed this?

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  239. number too it’s morally wrong to bear false witness on people (bible wrong)

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 9/27/2018 @ 12:09 pm

    Didn’t Roy date … well basically children? Am I mistaken? If he did, then it’s really unfortunate this blew up too late to replace him with a good candidate, but it’s not Mitt Romney’s job to lower the bar and let sleaze into power.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  240. Mr. Moore didn’t date children he’s a good person

    Mitt Romney went to a church where black people couldn’t even be ordained (racism church)

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  241. Not able to watch it, but is there any truth to Dr. Ford having something to do with a CIA program at Stanford?

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  242. Yowser! K’s overplaying his injury and over-indulging his anger, bigly, imo.

    Q! (86710c)

  243. no, he did not, the evidence that suggested that, was altered, if not falsified, he was slandered because he was a publically open Christian,

    narciso (d1f714)

  244. “Grabbing people sexually without their consent because they let “stars” get away with sexual assault is proof of a lack of consent.”

    Poor analysis, bad form. Fear doesn’t get the women following after them, going to their parties, and making themselves very available for them in the first place. These decisions are made and planned for long prior to the events in question.

    “I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but I wanted to make sure something happened” is the mindset that 9 out of 10 of these fake charges operate under.

    “There is no honest debate that Trump bragged about sexually assaulting people.”

    Trump was a lot of things, but a Bill Clinton, not so much. (no social climbing frigid wife at home to inspire the constant roaming, for one thing.)

    “Indeed, one of the worst claims about Trump is a very detailed report of forcible rape, by one of the wives who accused Trump of emotional and physical abuse. Thank you for bringing this up!”

    Divorce proceedings always get the most lurid, most retracted, and least credible claims.

    “Are you Christoph?”

    Who?

    “Have you ever expressed views in support of Neo Nazis?”

    Nope.

    “Why are you making such extreme efforts to conceal your IP address?”

    Not really that extreme, just good practice in this unforgiving, hypersensitive, and hyper-litigious day and age.

    Professor Squirrel (e5114d)

  245. I’m not sure that Kavanaugh’s yell at the world concept is a great plan. I think the pros on the Team D side saw this coming and that’s part of why Ford was coached to present herself the way she did.

    Though Trump will like that.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  246. Shouting? Television is a cool medium, Brett.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  247. that seems inprobable, her advisor did cooperate with certain government projects, some 20 years before she went to duke university,

    narciso (d1f714)

  248. Professor Squirrel, you didn’t answer the question. Are you Christoph?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  249. He is upset and rightly so. Righteous anger!

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  250. @243. Yeah, regardless of your POV on this- it isn’t. Literally had to turn down the volume on the television. Ranting isn’t helping.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  251. ugly, ugly, ugly

    Q! (86710c)

  252. I love the fact that he’s not feigning l/posing as an adolescent girl! Refreshing!

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  253. Kavanaugh is pissed, justifiably so.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  254. high tech lynching (of course . . .)

    Q! (86710c)

  255. @247. He’ll be okay in a while, Mr. Feet; ‘Happy Hour’ in Washington starts ’round 4ish.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  256. In the end…

    Imagine the entitlement to grow up arch-privileged in the suburbs of DC, attending country clubs, getting a Phd even with admittedly crappy grades, moving to Cali, spending all day everyday on the beach drinking with beach friends, biggest worry is how best to do your home renovation, tenured professorship, a life completely devoid of any sort of worry or stress, just everything handed to you on a platter… and still living under the delusion that you’ve suffered because of a non-event 30 years ago and that you are entitled to make the whole country privy to your BS and upend the nomination process for the SCOTUS.

    Professor Squirrel (a99d12)

  257. Why would someone with an impeccable career, unanimously given the highest rating by the ABA, and with a record of good even great behavior be angry with numerous people making confused, contradictory and defamatory accusations of attempted and outright rape after 30 years?

    harkin (a4b010)

  258. Truth needs to be told. A by any means necessary attempted lynching was slow-rolled by Democrats, who proudly went on record stating they would do whatever it took. They need to be stopped or it will only get worse. Yes… it is possible.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  259. Oh yeah, unsubstantiated too.

    harkin (a4b010)

  260. Boy. BK got me with that aside about his daughter’s prayer. Powerful. Tears flowing here.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  261. If he gets confirmed, the mantra from Democrats for the next thirty years will be “he hates Democrats so much for what they did in the hearings–how can he possibly be fair to liberals?”

    Cry me a river, Dems.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  262. You betcha, it’s a long deferred statement,

    narciso (d1f714)

  263. no social climbing frigid wife at home to inspire the constant roaming, for one thing

    Um…

    Dave (445e97)

  264. Brett, Brett, Brett! Work out The Kinks, fella…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C08KmCryQo

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  265. Haha, Brett knows how to play this game, you thought a man with several daughters would be moved by low-budget emoting?

    Professor Squirrel (a6b3cd)

  266. Michael Beschloss
    @BeschlossDC
    Not the tone of a future Supreme Court Justice
    __ _

    Ben Shapiro
    @benshapiro
    “You’re a rapist. Now, be calm and measured in your response.”

    harkin (a4b010)

  267. 262: Keep pounding that ground and losing that hope, he ain’t locked in there with you, you’re locked in there with him!

    Professor Squirrel (5a3a07)

  268. @263. He’s certainly experienced at making the rounds of a Washington Bar and Grilling.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  269. Even during this shameful chapter in political subterfuge, Trump is living totes rent-free in some heads, 24x7x365.

    Remarkable.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  270. A Kavanaugh calendar? Seriously?

    Yeah, baby! Sing it out, Choirboy!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX-0X603CEI

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  271. Dustin, I’ve voted for Democrats when the Republican wasn’t qualified. I had to sit out one election because I couldn’t vote for either of them. However, I’m fine with voting a straight ticket from now on, because I don’t hear a single Democrat stepping up to challenge what is obviously character assassination and out right fraud in an effort to prevent Trump from sitting his judges on the court.

    As a female attorney who regularly defends students accused of these kinds of things, I think I know
    utter fecal matter when I see it.

    Rochf (877dba)

  272. Paul Sperry
    @paulsperry_
    BREAKING: Ford’s polygraph expert has been a subcontractor of the Democrat law firm representing Ford in DC. Hanafin’s a “progressive” from Boston who says that when administering polygraphs on “victims” like Ford u automatically “believe them” & don’t ask them specific questions

    harkin (a4b010)

  273. Liberals need to be a lot more worried about what’s on Kavenaugh’s future calendars, in any event, it’s going to be GREAT watching them start treating the Supreme Court as illegitimate once it stops rubber-stamping their corporate agenda.

    Professor Squirrel (8821fb)

  274. Shouty McShoutface is not a good look for a supreme court nominee. But again, I wanted Amy Coney-Barrett, not another Yaley.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  275. DCSCA can’t manage to squeeze out anything but extremely lazy ad hominem, my, this hearing is going GREAT

    Professor Squirrel (caa1b1)

  276. Brett, you missed your calling; there’s no crying in baseball.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  277. 272: Sorry for the offensively toxic masculinity, but let me remind you that Kavanaugh, like Trump, is an attempt at the peaceful resolution of the damage liberalism has inflicted on the Court since Roe.

    You REALLY aren’t going to like the alternate who comes up if he gets voted down.

    Professor Squirrel (51c48c)

  278. now we see why she was hemming and hawing about the polygraph,

    narciso (d1f714)

  279. aul Sperry
    @paulsperry_
    BREAKING: Ford’s polygraph expert has been a subcontractor of the Democrat law firm representing Ford in DC. Hanafin’s a “progressive” from Boston who says that when administering polygraphs on “victims” like Ford u automatically “believe them” & don’t ask them specific questions

    *Gomer Pyle voice* Well, surprise, surprise, surprise!

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  280. “Matt Walsh

    Verified account

    @MattWalshBlog
    Follow Follow @MattWalshBlog
    More
    Liberals all over Twitter are laughing at and heckling a man who has had his whole life destroyed. These people are sick. It’s a shame that I have to share a country with them.”

    Ah, the sound of moderates turning right, getting their battle rifles ready, choosing the clear lesser of two evils, I have to say, banning Alex Jones was a GREAT plan, guys! Perhaps you actually wanted to live in the Handmaid’s Tale all along!

    Professor Squirrel (c230b2)

  281. friends are so good

    i stand with Mr. Kavanaugh

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  282. Kavanaugh seems to be in full William Wallace mode–as he is fully justified in being after weeks of the Democratic clownshow.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  283. Comment at Althouse:

    Birkel said…
    She couldn’t remember the exact address of her parents’ home but she knew the address of the convenience store where she alleges she ran into Mark Judge.

    Seems legit.

    harkin (a4b010)

  284. In retrospect, Teehee Ford probably wasn’t the one you wanted to go before Coach MANLY TEARS K.

    Professor Squirrel (5798e1)

  285. It’s the yearbook editor’s fault?!

    Okayyyyy.

    “I’ll speak to the printer about it later.” -John Adams [William Daniels] ‘1776’, 1972

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  286. Of course, the only reason he will bring in an all-female clerk staff is to have easy access to abuse semi-cloistered women.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  287. Even during this shameful chapter in political subterfuge, Trump is living totes rent-free in some heads, 24x7x365.

    Remarkable.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d) — 9/27/2018 @ 12:31 pm

    Hi Haiku! Yes I did indeed criticize the President on a politics blog in a manner that is on topic. I do think about Trump and I think about what he said about grabbing women, without their consent, by the p—- because they are afraid to report a “star” for sexual assault. Something about his most important appointment being accused of what Trump loves to do reminds me of Trump saying he loves to do it. Let me own up to this behavior, which I do not believe I should be personally attacked for, nor do I feel any need to deny or defend.

    If you have an argument against this perspective, let’s hear it! I would appreciate it if you would stop the personal attacks. You’ve repeated this personal attack on me, this 24x7x365 thing, in a manner that is spam and trolling, and detracts from the conversation. The blog is trying hard to get away from the ugliness, and our back and forth over the years was a big part of what we don’t need here. Just treat me the way I treat you.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  288. “Advise and consent” twisted to “Search and Destroy.”, along with his daughter’s prayer will live on for a very long time.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  289. 24x7x365

    Shouldn’t it be either 24x7x52 or 24×365?

    Dave (445e97)

  290. Is it just me (I may be biased, I admit, or hopelessly confused), but I find this extended tearful emoting to be both effective and credible, and oddly inauthentic. All at once. Or maybe, in seriatim. Or both.

    Q! (86710c)

  291. Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman. Her account is too serious to ignore. Moore is unfit for office and should step aside.

    – Mitt “due process lol” ROmney

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  292. Ugh. Seriously.

    For better or worse, perception is reality on TeeVee in this era: Ford at least came across as stable; so far, Kavanaugh does not.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  293. oops *Romney* i mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  294. Dustin, I’ve voted for Democrats when the Republican wasn’t qualified. I had to sit out one election because I couldn’t vote for either of them. However, I’m fine with voting a straight ticket from now on, because I don’t hear a single Democrat stepping up to challenge what is obviously character assassination and out right fraud in an effort to prevent Trump from sitting his judges on the court.

    As a female attorney who regularly defends students accused of these kinds of things, I think I know
    utter fecal matter when I see it.

    Rochf (877dba) — 9/27/2018 @ 12:34 pm

    Thank you for the direct and intelligent response. I do agree that the democrats tend to be very united, even in the aspects of this that are shameful. I think there’s an outspoken rigidity to many aspects of the left that I hate to see on the right (the entire movement to hate nevertrumpers reminds me of how the left enforces conformity).

    It’s interesting that you have a lot of experience with these accusations. In particular in detecting fraudulent accusations. Some of these accusations, like the Avenatti one, are particularly difficult to buy, but I thought Ford came across as someone who really had something terrible happen to her, but was evasive about the process.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  295. Ugh. Seriously.

    For better or worse, perception is reality on TeeVee in this era: Ford at least came across as stable; so far, Kavanaugh does not.

    Your thoroughly good faith and detached evaluation of the situation is noted.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  296. I thought Kavanaugh’s opening statement was powerful, and that’s understating it. He lobbed some serious criticisms at Democrats on the committee, so it’ll be interesting to see those exchanges.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  297. Is it just me (I may be biased, I admit, or hopelessly confused), but I find this extended tearful emoting to be both effective and credible, and oddly inauthentic. All at once. Or maybe, in seriatim. Or both.

    Q! (86710c) — 9/27/2018 @ 12:56 pm

    As he went on I found him more sincere. He started off awkwardly angry, and that seemed incredibly fake and rehearsed, intend to ‘show’ he’s acting like someone falsely accused. As he went along, those emotions he showed seemed pretty real to me.

    The problem is that 99% of voters will see clips. He gave the press a lot of ammo to distinguish weak victim from angry bad guy.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  298. Hi I am brett kavenaugh the 40 year old virgin! watch my movie.

    lany (017ea9)

  299. Shouldn’t it be either 24x7x52 or 24×365?

    Dave (445e97) — 9/27/2018 @ 12:56 pm

    LOL good point.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  300. Good Q opener by Feinstein. She then lied about depending on an outside authority. They have plenty of experienced staff.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  301. As he went on I found him more sincere. He started off awkwardly angry, and that seemed incredibly fake and rehearsed, intend to ‘show’ he’s acting like someone falsely accused

    I wonder if it’s perhaps that he isn’t an individual typically given over to anger, and this is just so surreal, it would be not unusual to struggle to find one’s sea legs.

    Dana (023079)

  302. @293. Well, ‘Cry Me A River’ certainly isn’t helping. Ranting isn’t helping. He has to calm down; he’s not projecting a mature image.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  303. The problem is that 99% of voters will see clips. He gave the press a lot of ammo to distinguish weak victim from angry bad guy.

    Yeah, that’s why I think being all shouty and angry is not the right look, from a PR perspective, and let’s face it, this is 100% PR today, nothing else.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  304. @293. Well, ‘Cry Me A River’ certainly isn’t helping. Ranting isn’t helping. He has to calm down; he’s not projecting a mature image.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:04 pm

    Oh bullshit, DCSCA. He’s raw. He’s not trying to pretend to be anything other than what he is.

    Dana (023079)

  305. why do people want the corrupt sleazy fbi involved?

    it makes no sense to get the fbi involved when you need people that are trusted

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  306. @294. Powerful yes. Unstable, yes. Immature, for sure. Television is a ‘cool’ medium; not prone to projecting ‘hot’ is a positive light. He’s gotta chill.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  307. watching the real world impact of nevertrump values

    how they callously destroy people with no evidence with no compunction

    it’s not a good path to go down

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  308. Yeah, that’s why I think being all shouty and angry is not the right look, from a PR perspective, and let’s face it, this is 100% PR today, nothing else.

    If I were innocent and smeared with a charge of sexual abuse, I’d be pissed, too.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  309. Powerful yes. Unstable, yes. Immature, for sure. Television is a ‘cool’ medium; not prone to projecting ‘hot’ is a positive light. He’s gotta chill.

    Tell that to Clarence Thomas. He came out angry, and you Dems are still whining about it almost three decades after he was confirmed.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  310. DCSCA:

    A few points:

    1. Jeepers, Dude. He’s been called a rapist non-stop for two weeks. Normal people get angry about stuff like that. See a movie called Fury (Spencer Tracy/Fritz Lang). Now, that’s angry…

    2. The audience isn’t you or me. It’s Senate Republicans, who really care about the sliming of their guy, and put it in a context of their guy always getting slimed. Anger at Democrats gives them a reason to vote for the guy, particularly if it stops being about Ms. Ford, and becomes about Ms. Feinstein.

    3. Stifle the judicial temperament talk. Only a psychopath would react calmly to being called a rapist non-stop for two weeks.

    Appalled (96665e)

  311. “I do think about Trump and I think about what he said about grabbing women, without their consent, by the p—- because they are afraid to report a “star” for sexual assault. Something about his most important appointment being accused of what Trump loves to do reminds me of Trump saying he loves to do it. Let me own up to this behavior, which I do not believe I should be personally attacked for, nor do I feel any need to deny or defend.”

    Rich and famous people live in a different world, most normal women actively and thoroughly seek that world as much as normal men once sought out the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, and ‘afraid to report a star for sexual assault’ has always been the poorest and most motivated reading of the situation, and the Sabrina Ruben Erdleys of the world make hay out of those prejudices.

    There is not and has never been a consensus of the President as a ‘serial sexual assaulter’ in the minds of anyone but the media and their low-information target audience.

    And if you ask two women for what qualifies as consent, you’ll get three opinions, so a general policy of ‘credible legal action involving police reports, sworn and notarized statements, trials, and supporting evidence or it didn’t happen anything like described’ is the best angle to take if you don’t want your enemies to live inside your heads for the rest of your life.

    Professor Squirrel (e7e274)

  312. @305. He should have done more on camera prep. Projecting too much McCoy and not enough Spock.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  313. When she’s right, she’s right:

    “Ann Coulter

    Verified account

    @AnnCoulter
    16m16 minutes ago
    More
    This is the closest thing we’ve ever had to Saddam’s rape rooms. Bring a guy in & torture him in front of his wife, children & elderly parents. The left should be proud.”

    Professor Squirrel (7dc47a)

  314. huh. he singles out the swetnick thing as a farce. If I were wrongfully accused of 3 equally fabricated and false allegations, I wouldn’t single out one as more farcical than the other. His answer on what too many beers is (“I don’t know, whatever the blood alcohol chart is”) is a strange mix of cavalierness, dismissiveness and indignation. To me, he’s acting, and I’m not buying it.

    JRH (388b2c)

  315. If I were innocent and smeared with a charge of sexual abuse, I’d be pissed, too.

    Yeah, but he’s up for Supreme Court, so appearances matter, this is the politics of 2018.

    She was getting flack for taking a break after 3 hours, so he’s taking a break after 1. What does that mean, nothing, but it meant nothing before, so it’s noted.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  316. oh man CSPAN attracts a bunch of emotionally disturbed wackadoodles

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  317. “Well, ‘Cry Me A River’ certainly isn’t helping. Ranting isn’t helping. He has to calm down; he’s not projecting a mature image.”

    “He should have done more on camera prep. Projecting too much McCoy and not enough Spock.”

    “Yeah, that’s why I think being all shouty and angry is not the right look, from a PR perspective, and let’s face it, this is 100% PR today, nothing else.”

    How to WIN with women by projecting weakness and hiding your heartfelt emotions like a GIANT NERD instead of a PATRIARCH with REAL RESPONSIBILITIES. What Kavenaugh needed was the affect of a Ben Shapiro podcast!

    The thing is, I don’t think you guys are even dissembling, I actually believe you think this is a winning strategy.

    Professor Squirrel (7edcb9)

  318. @306. Sure, Thomas was angry; even indignant– but firm and above all, mature. Not weepy, unstable– and immature. Temper tantrums on national television- for high office seekers- aren’t a good look.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  319. I suspect that the Democrats will try to salvage some propaganda video by collecting his responses to the female Democrats on the committee and cutting ads with the theme “evil white male is being disrespectful to women.” It’s all they’re going to get out of this hearing.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  320. bla bla bla

    Professor Squirrel (e7e274) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:13 pm

    So your refusal to answer my question directly is a tacit “yes.”

    2. The audience isn’t you or me. It’s Senate Republicans, who really care about the sliming of their guy, and put it in a context of their guy always getting slimed. Anger at Democrats gives them a reason to vote for the guy, particularly if it stops being about Ms. Ford, and becomes about Ms. Feinstein.

    Good point. Indeed this works for that purpose. It’s a war cry. I bet Trump in particular loved the defiance and power of his statement.

    But there’s a political cost coming. I guess that’s not necessarily Kavanaugh’s problem.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  321. 312 – short answer – all the water he’s drinking, some a-holes have said its so that he could produce tears on demand. Water-Kidneys-Dialysis-Swayed by Sotomayor if he makes it?

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  322. #311 —

    All false charges are not created equal. Ford’s has weaknesses, but it is not a good look to attack them. Kavenaugh may even be human enough to realize that, whatever happened, she believes her story.

    As for the beer statements — when does anger project well at all times? He believes the stuff he has gone through is beneath him.

    Appalled (96665e)

  323. Yeah, but he’s up for Supreme Court, so appearances matter, this is the politics of 2018.

    The important issue is how he appears to Republican Senators. I think he helped himself, more than enough to offset Blasey Ford, but we’ll see how he responds to the other Democrat Senators.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  324. huh. he singles out the swetnick thing as a farce. If I were wrongfully accused of 3 equally fabricated and false allegations, I wouldn’t single out one as more farcical than the other. His answer on what too many beers is (“I don’t know, whatever the blood alcohol chart is”) is a strange mix of cavalierness, dismissiveness and indignation. To me, he’s acting, and I’m not buying it.

    JRH (388b2c) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:16 pm

    I agree the way he talked about his drinking was … really stupid to put it mildly. Does anyone doubt this guy was occasionally black-out drunk?

    However, I disagree about the Swetnick thing. Her claim is really weird. It’s particularly nasty and unrealistic, and she’s used the sleaziest lawyer for a reason.

    I think a lot of people wonder if Ford was manipulated, and had an earnest memory of something terrible happen, but now is pushed into this spotlight. Not that she’s evil, but that her identification and maybe other aspects of her memory aren’t 100% reliable. There’s a big difference between her and Swetnick.

    Feinstein using the three was predictable, but I think that was an underhanded attack.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  325. Maybe his ‘strategy’ is to go full Queeg for the cameras as our Captain in the WH is watching on the TeeVee.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  326. @305 PM Yeah, that’s why I think being all shouty and angry is not the right look, from a PR perspective, and let’s face it, this is 100% PR today, nothing else.

    If I were innocent and smeared with a charge of sexual abuse, I’d be pissed, too.

    Yeah. OK. But where was the anger, where the drama-queen tears & high-emoting in the Fox interview?

    hmmm? One wonders what that means, if anything. Eh?

    Q! (86710c)

  327. OWTH.

    #254 … and this the White Liberal in a nutshell.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  328. Yeah. OK. But where was the anger, where the drama-queen tears & high-emoting in the Fox interview?

    His tormentors weren’t in front of him for that interview.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  329. 9th grade references and beer talk… in a SCOTUS hearing.

    This process is seriously broken.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  330. So that just happened, the Senate Republican Committee members decided to get a sex crimes prosecutor to question their own Republican nominee, on national television. That did just happen, right.

    Why didn’t they choose to sit the quarterback at half time?

    And yeah, the histrionics for a judge doesn’t look good. Bring in Amy Coney-Barrett, I’m a huge fanboy though.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  331. Slapping Leaky Leahy and his BS down: good for him.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  332. Yeah I definitely identify with Kavanaugh’s frustration with Leahy.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  333. the 40 year old virgin speaks. they are all liars except me!

    lany (017ea9)

  334. 317: What question was that, given that you seem to be avoiding my answers?

    “Sure, Thomas was angry; even indignant– but firm and above all, mature. Not weepy, unstable– and immature. Temper tantrums on national television- for high office seekers- aren’t a good look.”

    The slander against Thomas didn’t rise to near this level of intensity, the emotions of the actual victim match the hate of the one who was recently reputationally raped.

    “As for the beer statements — when does anger project well at all times? He believes the stuff he has gone through is beneath him.”

    Well, he never actually ‘asked for it’ now did he? Some people (usually Communists) derive sick thrills from stories of uppity rich people ‘righteously’ raped by poor people and are willing to hoot and holler about how ‘oh, you thought this was beneath you, now?’

    Wiser people know how to quit blaming the victim when they’re ahead.

    Professor Squirrel (f743b7)

  335. Bring in Amy Coney-Barrett, I’m a huge fanboy though.

    She can replace Ginsburg or Breyer, with Flake and Corker gone and hopefully a larger Republican majority that can ignore Collins and Murkowski. But that won’t happen if they go weak kneed.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  336. Yes or no answers are pretty straight foward. Evading rants isn’t helping him.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  337. 317: What question was that, given that you seem to be avoiding my answers?

    I was very direct in asking if you were Christoph. I’m not the only person who asked you, and this isn’t the only time you’ve been evasive in answering it. You’re evasive in a lot of ways that suggest you are evading a ban.

    Your pretending that you don’t know what I asked you is a tacit admission that you are the ever-hateful Christoph. Your claim that you have taken all these measures to avoid being sued for your comments at this blog is incredibly silly and dishonest.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  338. I like beer, beer is good, beer is made with hops, hops are good, canning is the right packaging solution for beer, beer is life.

    The American Craft Brewers Association would like to thank Brett Kavanaugh, beer is definitely good.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  339. “the 40 year old virgin speaks. they are all liars except me!”

    Kavenaugh is still a virgin, his daughters were conceived immaculately through the sheer overwhelming force of his virtue.

    “Jeff Giesea 🌿

    Verified account

    @jeffgiesea
    Follow Follow @jeffgiesea
    More
    Many liberals describe Kavanaugh as a picture of white male entitlement. Maybe so. But he’s also a picture of white male American character. Basketball. School. Church. Volunteer work. Friendship. Love. Loyalty. Beer. Fighting for himself when pushed. #KavanaughHearings”

    Professor Squirrel (7cbdfa)

  340. 9th grade references and beer talk… in a SCOTUS hearing.

    This process is seriously broken.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:28 pm

    Yes.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  341. “9th grade references and beer talk… in a SCOTUS hearing.”

    Weren’t you the classy guy who told Kavanaugh here that he shouldn’t be be wagging his wang in girls’ faces?

    harkin (a4b010)

  342. @337. Not under oath.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  343. Kavanaugh is right to say this is a “new level of absurdity”, where the contents of a high school yearbook somehow matter for a Supreme Court slot. I don’t begrudge Kavanaugh talking over the dependably partisan Leahy, especially since Leahy was doing the same over Kavanaugh.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  344. Time for the biggest Dick in Illinois to take his turn.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  345. “I was very direct in asking if you were Christoph. I’m not the only person who asked you, and this isn’t the only time you’ve been evasive in answering it. You’re evasive in a lot of ways that suggest you are evading a ban.”

    I am not and have never been this ‘Christoph’ you speak of.

    “Your pretending that you don’t know what I asked you is a tacit admission that you are the ever-hateful Christoph. Your claim that you have taken all these measures to avoid being sued for your comments at this blog is incredibly silly and dishonest.”

    Who the heck is Christoph and what does he have to do with not leaving a trail of personally identifying information on a public website that could be hacked by anyone for any purpose?

    Professor Squirrel (204754)

  346. its like when hitler attacked stalin you don’t know who to boo for!

    lany (017ea9)

  347. @332 Yes or no answers are pretty straight foward. Evading rants isn’t helping him.

    Who knows if his evasive rants are “helping him”? They are fake, totally political, inauthentic, time-wasters, evasive. Clearly. Obviously. But maybe they’ll be “effective”, at the end of the day. Ford did no filibustering, yet I wager Kavanaugh will do so, and do so extensively, on every occasion in response to minority questioning.

    Q! (86710c)

  348. this disgusting tootsie roll owl lady lies a lot about the adventures of her sugar cookie

    she’s a shameless and disgusting person

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  349. @336. Yeah, they gotta figure out a better way of dealing w/this sort of thing. Between the Thomas-Hill issue and now this, it’s clearly an area that needs some kind of contingency plan in this day and age.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  350. Given the proven corruption at the highest levels at FBI and DOJ when highly charged politics are involved, just what is magic about an FBI 302?

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  351. Kavanaugh is right to say this is a “new level of absurdity”, where the contents of a high school yearbook somehow matter for a Supreme Court slot. I don’t begrudge Kavanaugh talking over the dependably partisan Leahy, especially since Leahy was doing the same over Kavanaugh.

    I get that he’s pissed, but someone needs to remind him to calm the F down.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  352. again?

    durbin *also* wants to bring the corrupt dirty FBI into the picture

    just like crypt-keeper diane

    what world do these weirdo people live in

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  353. Kavanaugh is having none of Dick’s BS.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  354. I get that he’s pissed, but someone needs to remind him to calm the F down.

    Time for calm is over.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  355. Given the proven corruption at the highest levels at FBI and DOJ when highly charged politics are involved, just what is magic about an FBI 302?

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:42 pm

    The reality is that the democrats did bring these charges far later than they should have. Then they ask to delay things further. And there are real political ramifications to delaying this. It’s a very cynical process. Even though I’m pretty sympathetic to Dr. Ford, the democrats are being so sleazy in how they handle this matter. But I wonder if they are just poking the bear at this point.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  356. and nobody’s asking if the Rape Safeway has daily fresh-made sushi

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  357. @343. People are going to get home and get the gist of this from the news. It doesn’t look good that he keeps avoiding agreeing to an FBI investigation to bring it to ground. He should just say yes. That doesn’t mean the WH would do it.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  358. “its like when hitler attacked stalin you don’t know who to boo for!”

    The lefties knew, they immediately pivoted from ‘stay out of this’ isolationists to anti-German hawks.

    harkin (a4b010)

  359. WTF?!! Why is Lindsey Graham asking questions? Dinner theatre starts at 5 PM!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  360. Kavanaugh craters under Durbin. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

    Q! (86710c)

  361. This is the problem with a 30-something year-old accusation with sparse details of when and where, and where there is not a lick of contemporary collaboration. What else can Kavanaugh do but be pissed off? Ford offered no new details. Her story still raises a lot of questions in my mind as to what she did and why she did it. She does come across as credible…she’s not a blithering loon….and something did appear to happen to her….and she is convinced that it was Kavanaugh. That only leaves us with she is telling the truth….or has some sort of sociopathic problem.

    AJ_Liberty (ec7f74)

  362. Damn Lindsey Graham was replaced by a skrull?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  363. Holy crap! LG just went all in.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  364. wow Mr. Graham is really earning some respect from me for the first time in many many moons

    i wanna buy him a steak dinner with a side of asparagus

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  365. #353 —

    The secret might be that Trump doesn’t want the FBI involved because he hates them. So Kavanaugh is following instructions.

    Appalled (96665e)

  366. They must have sent the word out he’s in trouble; send in the clowns, eh Lindsey.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  367. Which is,ironic since the German army was trained in Soviet Russia in the interest period. Dalton trump to name one notable was antiwar from Poland to Norway to the fall of Paris to the beginning of sea lion

    Narciso (1d9d12)

  368. Ah, the liberals were all for Graham when he was squishy for them, guess a man’s gotta grow up sometime.

    Professor Squirrel (a41d1a)

  369. Finally! A Republican stands up and roars. And it’s Lindsey Graham, of all people!

    Dana (023079)

  370. wow.

    I love you Mr. Graham that was sincere and heartfelt and it felt like the real deal

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  371. It was much better for Graham to be outraged than for Kavanaugh. A judicial nominee should be judicious and calm.

    And Graham is angry at the right thing: the sleazy way these allegations were handled. Instead of doing this in an open and honest way, it’s trial by ambush.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  372. @365. Yelling at clouds won’t stop the rain. But it has brought the thespian out in him.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  373. But I wonder if they are just poking the bear at this point

    They’re in his head now, and the sex crimes prosecutor is not helping.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  374. 287… no Dave, 24x7x365… correct… vernacular normally spoken by people outside the faculty lounge. Big world out there.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  375. yeah Rachel’s kinda all-around useless

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  376. Lindsey Graham subtext is threatening the Flaky Republicans with very clear forfeiture of the usual post-election payouts, and for that, the other squishes will vote yes no matter how much they signal to the other side.

    Live by the graft, die by the graft!

    Professor Squirrel (62e901)

  377. LG was great. He brought out Feinsteins plan to withhold the fact that she had the letter from Ford and had already referred her to a lawyer

    Patricia (3363ec)

  378. Cornyn’s falling flat in a big way

    especially after fawning over tootsie roll pop’s credibility

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  379. …..it has brought the thespian out in him.

    Wow. LG is acting? I don’t think so and I’d like to find out why you are so sure.

    Richbert88 (ddc02c)

  380. FYI: Devils Triangle: A threesome with 1 woman and 2 men. It is important to remember that straight men do not make eye contact while in the act. Doing so will question their sexuality. -source, urbandictionary.

    There is no reference to it being ‘drinking game.’

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  381. usage: tootsie roll pop’s rape hoax story has more holes than a devil’s triangle

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  382. Who allowed Cornyn to ask questions?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  383. Senator Grahamnesty is a weasel of the very highest order. Today, and actually the past fortnight, he is as the proverbial blind squirrel finding his nuts.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  384. Erick Erickson

    @EWErickson
    After the Ford testimony it is pretty clear why Democrats are pushing the “Believe Her” idea — they have no facts or evidence to believe in that support her so they can’t believe facts.

    harkin (a4b010)

  385. Let Mitchell do her thing; after all, We the People have had to pay for her services today.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  386. “If you have an argument against this perspective, let’s hear it! I would appreciate it if you would stop the personal attacks. You’ve repeated this personal attack on me, this 24x7x365 thing, in a manner that is spam and trolling, and detracts from the conversation“

    Hello, Dustin, I remarked on it in the sense that given the subject matter and the spectacle unfolding on the TV, that this focus on the OvalOffice was, well, remarkable. No judgement other than that. I apologize for offending you.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  387. Ot,was time to be nice, until it was not time to be nice.

    Narciso (1d9d12)

  388. This discussion of high school yearbooks is also remarkable and a reminder that one never knows what is rattling around the minds of the Democrats.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  389. FYI: Devils Triangle: A threesome with 1 woman and 2 men. It is important to remember that straight men do not make eye contact while in the act. Doing so will question their sexuality. -source, urbandictionary.

    There is no reference to it being ‘drinking game.’

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 1:59 pm

    Try running your last text message with your mom through Urban dictionary and see how much stuff has been given a secret bizarre sexual meaning. I’m not saying you’re wrong… I just don’t think it’s evidence the guy is a gang rapist. That’s a hell of a charge to base on a yearbook joke.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  390. 378: What are you complaining about, it’s not a court of law, it’s the circus you asked for and the ringmasters are kicking out the clowns and actually playing to the audience.

    Professor Squirrel (931ad1)

  391. Let Mitchell do her thing; after all, We the People have had to pay for her services today.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 9/27/2018 @ 2:01 pm

    Come on though. Do you enjoy hearing the endless and repetitive grandstanding that all these hearings always seem to be dominated by? I think they are a strange aspect of our political system. I would love it if we started employing professionals to do the questioning.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  392. What year did the Oxford Exhaustive Urban Dictionary come out and how common is it to appropriate a sexualized slang term for one thing into a slang term for another thing among high schoolers?

    Professor Squirrel (931ad1)

  393. Oh, Lindsey, you’ve got the vapors. He doesn’t really do angry well, it’s like an angry smurf, he’s just so adorable, I want to pinch his cute little face.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  394. @385. Drinkers know the games. FWIW, the best one was having to take a drink every time someone said ‘Bob’ watching The Bob Newhart Show. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  395. “I would love it if we started employing professionals to do the questioning.”

    Rule by ‘professionals’ who use their professional credentials to rubber-stamp the advantages they take is how we got into this mess in the first place, if democracy is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly with whoever managed to get the most votes in their state.

    Professor Squirrel (931ad1)

  396. …only committee members and/or the committee can order an FBI investigation. a SCOTUS candidate cannot. That is why he leaves it up to them. Kavanaugh is a good long ball and short strike QB. and on defense Graham just made a great LB strike over the center. That is why Durbin’s questions was as big a fake as can be thrown at a candidate in this situation. If the Dems wanted the FBI involved so badly why not come out with the charges months earlier? On top of that, there is no statute of limitations on sex crimes in Maryland. All any of these “accusers” or even the DNC, especially with the charges of gang rape witnessed by the 19 yr old college student, 10 times no less, could have done is walk into the Montgomery Co. Sheriff’s office and filed a complaint against Kavanaugh and local law enforcement would have done the rest. But no, the DNC went as low and a scumbag-ish as possible: They went for character assassination, to destroy this man and his family. Typical Clinton play.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  397. 379… Righteous anger from Graham! Listening to Klobuchar, i’m laughing as I think about some of the hilarious goings on at my high school. In my senior year, I think the only fellows who didn’t have some seriously hilarious pranks played on them were 2 classmates suffering from cancer and future Congressman Ed Royce, who was much too serious minded and focused to have fun, God bless him.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  398. how common is it to appropriate a sexualized slang term for one thing into a slang term for another thing among high schoolers

    ariana grande licked a donut one time and had to say I’m sorry i licked the donut

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  399. @387. The grandstanding is their own fault. It;s certainly not in the job description but that’s also on the committee chairman to run a tight ship.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  400. Let Mitchell do her thing; after all, We the People have had to pay for her services today.

    LOL–funny how your tune change after LG went nuclear. Your convenient changed viewpoint is noted and mocked.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  401. Martha McCallum is without worth in this matter other than to represent her gender and to look purty.

    Sweetheart, this is not the Senate Floor.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  402. Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but Kavanaugh is the most combative judicial nominee I’ve seen, more than Clarence Thomas. Back in ’91, there was at least a veneer of decorum.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  403. So Balsey liar with a Ph.D. talks like a 15 year old girl educated in Hillbilly Country?

    Does anyone have a clue how she normally speaks?

    Obviously she was coached to lie “empathetically.”

    That estrogen freaks buy the garbage is what gets me.

    Like my daughter when she wails away about some injustice only to discover she is lying and trying to get over.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  404. “Back in ’91”

    …… back then Creepy Porn Lawyers describing their fantasies would not be on every major TV Network as a credible source.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  405. “Back in ’91”

    …… back then Creepy Pahorn Lawyers describing their fantasies would not be on every major TV Network as a credible source.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  406. That’s a hell of a charge to base on a yearbook joke.

    Exactly. DCSCA expects the Urban Dictionary, mostly written by millennials, to be the authority on exactly how a term was used in 1983. Ohhhh-kaaaay.

    JVW (42615e)

  407. 287… no Dave, 24x7x365… correct… vernacular normally spoken by people outside the faculty lounge. Big world out there.

    #MathIsHard

    Dave (445e97)

  408. We hear the term “gaslighting” a lot.

    Accusing someone of being a criminal rapist for two weeks and then tsk-tsking him for being mad about that is gaslighting.

    yeah I would get mad too. and you know what? a whole heck of a lot of voters would too.

    also, it is great to see Graham’s inner US Marine stand up. Its a marvelous thing. One minute of one US Marine US Senator is equal or better than 5 hours of far left liberal US Senators.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  409. @402. The ranting on television project immaturity; as ‘man-child’— just like you-know-who. No surprise there.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  410. Beer, buffed, ralph club, squee, quarters type game. Yep, that was just in a hearing for the supreme court.

    Someone needs a time machine to go back to the 80s and find the Georgetown Prep’s administration and slap them in the head for allowing the yearbook to be published.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  411. Graham isn’t a Marine, he’s Air Force.

    radar (586a97)

  412. 406… for some, yes.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  413. You do realize Lindsey Graham is auditioning o camera… for Attorney General.

    Hear-tell the role will open up after the midterms. Off-Broadway, of course.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  414. I suspect Sheldon Whitehouse was teased mercilessly in his boarding school years about that lisp. Would be a hoot to read his yearbook entries.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  415. @405. Know your drinking games, JVW… DT ain’t Whales Tails.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  416. Overheard on CNN: “Brett Kavanaugh went full Trump today.” Um, because he defended himself?

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  417. @ 402 PM Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but Kavanaugh is the most combative judicial nominee I’ve seen, more than Clarence Thomas. Back in ’91, there was at least a veneer of decorum.

    Most def. K is Cl Thomas on ‘roids. Literally. Angry, and then tearful, then raging, then weeping. Very ‘roid-ful. Very. The more this go on, the more unsettling it is, seems to me. Very inauthentic, especially given the practiced evasion and filibustering. Theatrics. Don’t. Trust. Him.

    Q! (86710c)

  418. #MathIsHard

    To be fair, Dave, 24x7x365 is shorthand for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, which businesses like casinos and Denny’s and others use to promote the fact that they are always open. The “x” isn’t meant to be read as a multiplication sign.

    So can we now close this avenue of petty squabbling?

    JVW (42615e)

  419. Lindsey Graham just won the hearing. Compelling, heartfelt and real. more than what can be said for the corrupt, shallow, and bigoted DNC members. Not one of them cares about sexual crimes committed against women or they would have brought Dr. Ford’s complaints immediately to the committee and by now the FBI would have done its work. But no, the DNC needed political candidate advertisements, photo opts and fund-raising opportunities.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  420. Whoa?! Who is permitting Hatch to ask questions? All done w/t ‘icky sex talk?’ We’ve paid for Mitchell to do the questioning.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  421. Know your drinking games, JVW

    A rejoinder that has nothing to do with the point you were so feebly trying to make. So it’s going to be one of those days for you, huh? I’ll go ahead and ignore you until tomorrow.

    JVW (42615e)

  422. So can we now close this avenue of petty squabbling?

    JVW (42615e) — 9/27/2018 @ 2:32 pm

    I think it should be 7/24/365 so that the numbers are always getting larger.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  423. LG’s primary target there was Jeff Flake, who was seen recently on the Senate floor decrying the bad behavior by the Senate. One wonders if the message got through.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  424. Whoa?! Who is permitting Hatch to ask questions? All done w/t ‘icky sex talk?’ We’ve paid for Mitchell to do the questioning.

    Continued bad faith talking points are noted.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  425. Remember what happened to John Tower; qualified but denied for Sec. of Def. Chiefly due to Mister Booze.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  426. “Put yourself in our shoes, Mr. Cavanaugh…”
    —- Mr. Coons (D)

    “I can’t, clown shoes must fit terribly.”

    —- Judge Cavanaugh

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  427. @419. Noting the UD def is certainly not feeble. But you can search for it as a ‘drinking game’ if you like.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  428. Senator Lee isn’t having any of the Democratic BS either–and no one can credibly call him a Trump supporter. Not that he’s specifically calling them out for refusing to participate in the Senate investigation–that’s something that Flake and the other waverers have to acknowledge.

    And now the Biden quote, again. Well done, Senator.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  429. “I think it should be 7/24/365 so that the numbers are always getting larger.”

    You stole that from Jack Handey, didn’t you.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  430. The DNC runs on the notion that they are “the party of the people”. however, just like other fascist, socialist and marxist government officials (especially in Russia), what the DNC say is far different then what they actually do. The DNC says they are “for the people” but in the end, they are for control of the people and line their pockets with the wealth of the people; all the while the people are thrown to the wolves or worse. What was done to Judge Kavanaugh can and will be done to others who disagree with the DNC if the DNC takes over the government. Same as what was done to Justice Thomas in the 1990s. The DNC and Obama did this to the tea party groups with the IRS. Castro and Stalin would be proud while all the POTUS on Mt. Rushmore are screaming in their graves. strange, horrible corrupt days we are living in, indeed.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  431. Whoa? Who gave Mike Lee permission to ask questions? All done w/t ‘icky sex talk’ again? We’ve paid for Mitchell’s services today. Let her do her thing.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  432. It’s interesting watching that lawyer, I’ll call him Beardy, emoting so much. He clearly positioned himself strategically to be on camera.

    What a bizarre way we’re going about this whole process.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  433. “Note” that.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  434. Whoa? Who gave Mike Lee permission to ask questions? All done w/t ‘icky sex talk’ again? We’ve paid for Mitchell’s services today. Let her do her thing.

    Tiresome repetition of bad faith talking points noted.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  435. And now Sasse, calling out the Democrats again. Republican voters should take note.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  436. Senator Stolen Honor now.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  437. Did the GOP hope Ford came across as not credible, to be followed by a mild statement from Kavanaugh? Maybe the goal was to keep the moderate Senators on board by not attacking her credibility, but after Ford did well then the plan changed (for Graham and especially Kavanaugh).

    DRJ (15874d)

  438. @432. Are you aware of the costs incurred to the U.S. government for hiring Ms. Mitchell’s services?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  439. I think they owe Kavanaugh a vote.

    DRJ (15874d)

  440. Sid Blumenthal couldn’t be not-slimy if his life depended on it. And his effort to be cruel about this alumnius thing was terrible and simply a more clumsy example of what many of these senators have tried: to poke the bear and get more clips of Brett being angry.

    Why in the world is that man on this committee?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  441. Are you aware of the costs incurred to the U.S. government for hiring Ms. Mitchell’s services?

    Non-sequitur.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  442. Kavanaugh did correctly characterize the pent-up frustrations the Democrats have been dealing with resulting from Clinton’s loss to Trump.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  443. @435. That seems a reasonable analysis; although K noted he inked his statement last night or so. The delivery was over the top for TeeVee; the news clips won’t be pretty paired w/Fords. They’re doing broken field running now.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  444. just in, the Marxist Fascists DNC supporters at work:

    Heartless people just doxxed Orrin Hatch while he was speaking and his poor wife has been receiving calls nonstop ON HER BIRTHDAY and their home address was made public.

    This is how low they will go. Absolutely disgusting.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  445. Stolen Valor Lizardthal asks about Anita Hill… LOL!

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  446. I just looked up Gorsuch’s yearbook entry, it’s like he knew that an adult might look at it in the future and ask WTF was going on then.

    Colonel Klink (0e3d41)

  447. To be fair, Dave, 24x7x365 is shorthand for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, which businesses like casinos and Denny’s and others use to promote the fact that they are always open.

    Obviously, but since “24×7” implies that you are open every hour of every day of the week, the logical extension, as I pointed out, would be to add “x52” to indicate that you are open every hour of every day of every week of the year.

    So can we now close this avenue of petty squabbling?

    The original observation was intended as humor and (intentionally) not addressed to anyone.

    It only became “squabbling” when somebody else got butthurt and started hurling personal insults.

    It’s regrettable that you chose to criticize me instead of them.

    Dave (445e97)

  448. https://www.lifezette.com/2018/09/former-nba-player-chris-dudley-stands-up-for-his-friend-brett-kavanaugh/

    the DNC has so overplayed their hand, to the detriment of all Americans:

    In a separate interview with The Washington Post, Dudley defended Kavanaugh again and refuted claims that his friend ever blacked out while drinking or displayed any bad behavior.

    “I went out with him all the time. He never blacked out. Never even close to blacked out,” the former NBA player said. “There was drinking, and there was alcohol. Brett drank, and I drank. Did he get inebriated sometimes? Yes. Did I? Yes. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER COLLEGE KID IN AMERICA.”

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  449. She can’t remember details about the lie detector test, didn’t know about the offer for them to come out the CA, and couldn’t add much to the allegations. She seemed sort of loopy.

    He can remember details from high school, details about baseball games, etc.

    They’re focusing on the FBI. Did I miss anyone mention DF sent this to the FBI and they didn’t pick it up?

    frosty48 (b0b3c0)

  450. Sen Blumenthal lied for years about serving in Vietnam, which is all you need to know about his courage & honesty. Maybe he should reconsider before questioning Judge Kavanaugh’s credibility.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  451. Ah, Senator “Shut Up Men.” Quite a brilliant soul, that one.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  452. frosty 48 – Grassley and others have insisted on that very point (the FBI punting) several times this afternoon.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  453. Your time is up, Senator “Shut Up Men.” Quit stalling.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  454. Ford believes Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. Kavanaugh believes he didn’t. Only one has any corroborating evidence for their claims, and it isn’t Ford.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  455. “We must have a hearing! Even though we just had a hearing, we need a new hearing to finally learn the truth !”

    Gets hearing

    “We must have an FBI investigation! Even though we’ve had six already, we need a new investigation to finally learn the truth!”

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  456. WAPO: “Kavanaugh hearing turns partisan” — and you wonder why the phrase “liberal media bias” is used

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  457. Ah, Senator Spartaputz. Democratic prospects in 2020 are looking so bright, I need my shades!

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  458. @439. Not really; we, the people, pay Senators to do what they sub-contracted out to do already.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  459. Jeez… late night comedy shows and SNL are going to have a field day w/this.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  460. What is Grassley asleep or does he figure Spartagrope isn’t coming off very well?

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  461. Cruz could say literally anything right now and the online left would throw a tantrum over it.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  462. Not really; we, the people, pay Senators to do what they sub-contracted out to do already.

    She did her job. Your continued, repetitive, bad faith insistence on her continued use of panel time after whining about her very presence before is noted.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  463. LOL, why Lawyers are held in contempt by decent people …

    Balsey Liar Lawyers address who paid for the polygraph by saying “we did.”

    Still no idea who is paying for the lawyes who are paying for the polygraphs.

    I ask the Lawyers how does this pass for decency or honesty in any material way?

    Why can lawyers launder lies and they can’t be called criminals and be disbarred in the process?

    Why can a Lawyer lie and break laws yet still have a license and not be prosecuted?

    Simple question … who is paying for it? Pro Bono? Please do tell. It matters.

    Same as Perkins Coie laundering lies for Hillary and Fusion GPS. Why do they get to hide behind their “degree” while others are fed to the wolves?.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  464. but after Ford did well then the plan changed

    Can’t speak for Graham, but Kavanaugh testified that he wrote his opening statement yesterday.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  465. #452

    Exactly.

    Why she is Balsey Liar.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  466. Ah, the same DiFi who failed to notice a Chinese Communist spy working for her is claiming that she’s sure that none of her staff was the source of the leak. #totallycrediblehonest

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  467. No… um no I didn’t ask them if they leaked it. And no they didn’t leak it. They just told me.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  468. #461 All I know is many men are in jail for lying 1/10 of the time Lawyers lie in exactly the same types of situations.

    Who paid for the polygraph? We did. … LOL.

    Who paid for the Fusion GPS Report. Perkins Coie did. LOL.

    Did you have sex with that women? No, never had coitus with her. LOL.

    I remember being attacked that night but can’t figure out how I got home 8 miles away. LOL.

    Very frustrating for a citizenry to hold them in anything but utter contempt.

    Bob the Builder (564d53)

  469. @459. Mis. Mitchell’s ‘job,’ as sub-contracted to do, was to question the witnesses at this hearing for GOP senators; Mr. Cruz is doing that now, not Ms. Miitchell, so the ‘icky sex talk’ questioning must be over? We, the people, have been billed to pay for her services today. Not using them is a double injury. But tey know how best to spend our money, don’t they.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  470. Feinstein did not report Ford’s allegations for 8 weeks. Not to the committee nor to the FBI. The DNC hates women and what better example of how they handled this then Feinstein. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone based on Feinstein’s own dark & sordid past, especially her political allies. The Rev. Jim Jones (yes that Rev. jones, of the People’s Temple, SF) was an integral part of the Democratic Party political machinery in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through him and other ministers, the DNC party was able to construct an impregnable culture in the region based upon Marxist ideology. This group controlled the Bay Area and demanded unwavering loyalty from anyone who sought political office. George Moscone, Willie Brown, Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi were some of the leaders of this group. Of particular interest to politicians was Rev. Jones ability to produce 2,000 people for work or attendance in San Francisco within hours of a request. Rev. Jones’ ability to mobilize so many people, so quickly AND who were willing to do practically anything he instructed them to do for the Democratic Party sounds very familiar to today’s DNC party tactics and the type of people the DNC want as judges, voters and even as the POTUS. Feinstein, Pelosi, Booker, Harris and the DNC area a cult. just saying…the more things change the more they stay the same…

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  471. Democrat problems/mistakes are always blamed on someone else.

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  472. Marion Jones passed a polygraph test too, you nitwit–a couple of years before getting sent to prison for lying about the matter the polygraph test involved.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  473. Mis. Mitchell’s ‘job,’ as sub-contracted to do, was to question the witnesses at this hearing for GOP senators; Mr. Cruz is doing that now, not Ms. Miitchell, so the ‘icky sex talk’ questioning must be over? We, the people, have been billed to pay for her services today. Not using them is a double injury. But tey know how best to spend our money, don’t they.

    Moronic, repetitive, bad faith talking point noted.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  474. Senator Harris, other than your mentor/SugarMack Daddy Willie Brown, how many politicians have you had sexual intercourse with to rise to your current “position”?

    Colonel Haiku (a0489d)

  475. Interesting to see Feinstein admit she had so little concern for Dr. Ford that she didn’t bother asking her staff, who were the only people with her letter, if any of them leaked it.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  476. Aldrich ames, passed a whole battery of polygraph, all the way through his hemorrhage of secrets to the secrets.

    narciso (d1f714)

  477. soviets, because it measures physiological responses under stress,

    narciso (d1f714)

  478. K did not watch Ford testify. Incredible.

    Q! (86710c)

  479. ‘Do you believe in God?’ he’s asked… but he’s copped to ‘The Devil’s Triangle.’ And admits not bothering to watch Ms. Ford’s testimony. Bad form, Brett.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  480. Feinstein says she’s innocent and didn’t leak the letter. I guess she is offended that someone would accuse her of something she didn’t do. Since an assertion of innocence is good enough for her, maybe now she knows how Brett Kavanaugh feels. awww poor wittle senator feels uncomfortable….tisk tisk tisk….

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  481. BK is oblivious to the powerful theater Kennedy is attempting to create. This is NOT the moment for judicial temperament. This was a last opportunity to simply DENY with PASSION and brevity.

    Fleck hinted at the cost of allowing mere “doubt” to be dispositive in denying a nominee. If he holds true to that, he will not object to a vote tomorrow. That man has rarely held to genuine honor in his last months as a Senator, and most certainly not the past two weeks.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  482. They gotta come up w/a better way of doing this in the life and times of the 21st century.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  483. Ted Cruz smoked Feinstein.

    DN (e91bf6)

  484. ‘Do you believe in God?’ he’s asked… but he’s copped to ‘The Devil’s Triangle.’

    Disingenuous.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  485. good grief, the stupid of the DNC:

    Sen Kamala Harris: Are you willing to ask the White House to open an independent investigation into these allegations? The FBI performed a background check on you before we knew these allegations.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  486. The Dick from Illinois sounds beaten. It couldn’t happen to a nicer sack of garbage.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  487. You’d think Sen Cory Booker would know another groper when he saw one.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  488. Cornyn just said he expects a vote tomorrow morning.

    Dana (023079)

  489. Disingenuous.

    It’s all he has.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  490. Well, I would not say he went Full Trump; he went Modified Trump. No pettiness or boastfulness. I will say though Trump’s pushback to the media and to Dems has given people sort of permission to push back too. And that’s a good thing.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  491. From Erick Erickson‏: “If I were the President, I’d spend tomorrow retweeting the highly biased tweets of various reporters to further expose just how much the American press corps had decided to fall in with the left against him.”

    …..seriously, Goebbels & Tokyo Rose would be proud of the leftist DNC-supporting MSM right now.

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de)

  492. I don’t see any contradiction between playing a drinking game in college, and being an earnestly faithful Christian. DCSCA, do you think there’s a contradiction there?

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  493. @481. It’s his testimony; this is the problem w/packaging and marketing a product as something it isn’t. A ‘choirboy’ he’s not; more a man-child prone to tantrums w/a rowdy past, which would have sold much easier if up front about it weeks ago. If they had, we’d be at a very different place today an he’d likely sail through.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  494. DCSCA, I assume you’re saying it’s because the game has the word “devil” in it, and therefore he’s not a good Christian. You’re not still on this thing that it’s a term for orgy, right?

    Yes, he’s clearly not a choirboy, but most Christians aren’t. That’s kinda the point of the religion.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  495. @489. He says its a ‘drinking game.’ Search it out. He finally let slip Judge didn’t have an addiction ‘but a ‘drinking problem…’ and so on ad so on… but no point in picking this apart, Dustin. Late night comedy will do that.

    Show’s over

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  496. Late night comedy will do that.

    True.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  497. DCSCA, are you seriously contending that Kavanaugh’s not a Christian, or a phony Christian, because he played a drinking game that has the name “devil” in it? If so, disingenuous. I don’t believe a Christian or Catholic should be dinged for ordering a Satan’s Whisker.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  498. Was this about getting even for Trump winning, or for Merrick Garland, or for Ken Starr/Bill Clinton? Or all of the above?

    DRJ (15874d)

  499. Leahy bitterly mentioned Merrick Garland to the reporters waiting in the hallway outside of the hearing room.

    Dana (023079)

  500. It’s interesting how many here and on the Committee assumed the worst about Kavanaugh’s high school/college calendar notes and codes (FFFFF thing). It’s as if we are such a cynical and jaded people, that when someone comes along who is far less so, we don’t celebrate that commitment to God etc., we disbelieve and mock it. It says so much more about us than him.

    (I’m only using the terms “we” and “us” to be polite.)

    Dana (023079)

  501. Someone on Capitol Hill just doxxed Republican senators and put their addresses and phone numbers online:

    Somebody working from a House of Representatives office is editing the Wikipedia pages of Republican senators to post what looks like their home addresses.

    Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and both Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah all had their home addresses posted online.

    Bitterness is a bitter pill to swallow.

    Dana (023079)

  502. Leahy bitterly mentioned Merrick Garland to the reporters waiting in the hallway outside of the hearing room.

    To flip the Democratic mantra on its head, Merrick Garland was never shown any disrespect by the Republicans in the Senate aside from saying “sorry, but we’re not holding a vote for you.” He hasn’t been slimed in a way that will impact his life for decades. That only happens to Republican candidates for the Supreme Court.

    M Scott Eiland (b16b32)

  503. To flip the Democratic mantra on its head, Merrick Garland was never shown any disrespect by the Republicans in the Senate aside from saying “sorry, but we’re not holding a vote for you.” He hasn’t been slimed in a way that will impact his life for decades. That only happens to Republican candidates for the Supreme Court.

    So true.

    It looks like they’re doxing Republicans too…..

    Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans’ addresses, phone numbers released on Wikipedia pages

    https://m.washingtontimes.com
    __ _

    They can never just fight with facts.

    harkin (a4b010)

  504. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and both Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah all had their home addresses posted online.

    Not really to effect them but “pour décourager les autres”,

    (Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina already had his cell phone number revealed by Donald Trump in about March 2016 – to prove he was in contact with him, to prove that Sen Graham had asked for his support. Senator Graham said it was time he upgraded his cell phone anyway although he didn’t have to do that to change the number.)

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  505. If it annoys 51 Republicans enough to fight back ….

    nk (dbc370)

  506. 487-Patricia
    Right on – Right on – Right on

    mg (9e54f8)

  507. The Democratic Senators repeatedly brought up the idea of having an FBI investigation, and each time Senator Grassley argued with that – there was not one such thing where 20 minutes didn’t go by and there was not a corrrection or clarification of the record. And that’s most of what the Democrats were trying to do diuring Kavanaugh’s testimony – make a meta argument that there had bbeen an unfair, or rushed, process.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  508. 471- Col.
    Think it could be in the numbers Wilt the Stilt claimed?

    mg (9e54f8)

  509. Or 50. Spence can break the tie.

    nk (dbc370)

  510. 472.

    Interesting to see Feinstein admit she had so little concern for Dr. Ford that she didn’t bother asking her staff, who were the only people with her letter, if any of them leaked it.`

    Then she said her staff or someone on her staff reminded her taht she had.

    Sdnator feinstein;s position wa sthat neitehr she or the Congresswoman had leaked the letter (and of course nobody was going to suspect Christine Blasey Ford’s attorneys) and said the letter had never leaked – but Blasey had talked to friends, and they talked. If that’s all the explanation maybe you would like to buy a bridge in Brooklyn.

    Feinstein’s staff actual;y found the attorney for Blasey ZFord. Blasey Ford didn’t seem to mention that during his testimony.

    Feinstein brought up one interesting angle during her quesrioning of Blasey. The story is Blasey mentioned this in 2012 because she had an argumnent with her husband – she wanted two front doors in the house they were building – and as a matter of fact the house was eventually built with two front doors. This was said to be because of her claustrophobia – she had escaped from ahouse. In her testimony, by the way, Blasey seemed more disturbed by being imprisoned than by the idea that she escaped a rape. So maybe something is true, because it doesn’t all seem calculated.

    But why wouldn’t she want a BACK door (or they had that already in the plans?)

    Where Eagles Dare (30c9de) — 9/27/2018 @ 3:39 pm

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  511. 468 Feinstein said she was honoring Blasey Ford’s wishes.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  512. rachel was 100% useless

    and hunnybunny got her hair did for this?

    sweetie that was just a waste

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  513. I would have asked her if those MILF-movie glasses were prescription. And when did she buy them. Maybe that’s why she needed the extra time?

    nk (dbc370)

  514. 505… that’s a lot of pipe, mg… 20k?

    Colonel Haiku (e208fd)

  515. Is that 20,000 or 20 kilometers?

    nk (dbc370)

  516. She sounded like tweety bird, where was sylvester.

    Narciso (27a1f9)

  517. The best analogy might be the Falcons 28 – 3 lead in Super Bowl LI. I think we all know what happened afterward. And only Marie Harf from that side can pull off nerd/MILF.

    urbanleftbehind (c8c554)

  518. Feinstein said she was honoring Blasey Ford’s wishes.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 9/27/2018 @ 4:44 pm

    I found that cynical. I found a lot of Feinstein’s conduct towards Ford to be pretty much evil. Throwing out that maybe Ford’s the leaker (which would mean Ford perjured herself). Obviously being the source of the leaks (the way she flip flopped on investigating it was a huge tell for me). And then just saying everything about the timing was Ford’s decision. What a load of crap.

    She held this stuff for the most cynical purposes. I’m not really sure of Kavanaugh to be honest. But I am sure I don’t want this tactic to work.

    Kamala’s YES OR NO YES OR NO YES OR NO!!! grand inquisition, against a man who was deprived of a fair process, about charges the democrats didn’t pursue for over a month, was the worst gotcha in American history.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  519. Yesornooryes
    ms. kamalatoeharris
    got teh loose booty

    Colonel Haiku (e208fd)

  520. 514… meh…

    #notevenwithyours

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  521. “Is that 20,000 or 20 kilometers?”

    nk (dbc370) — 9/27/2018 @ 4:56 pm

    #betteraskdave #measureofanacademician

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  522. This shameful chapter in our history… it’s disheartening. Do we let our political and legal institutions crumble? Or do we strongly insist this is not what America is about?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  523. That Dr has some hard miles on her. Stop n’ go traffic, not much time on the highway.

    Infrequent oil changes… clutch slips… teh good news is her brakes are at 98% life left.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  524. M Scott Eiland (b16b32) — 9/27/2018 @ 4:21 pm
    Stick around, MSE. This place can use more high-quality contributors.

    Paul Montagu (0e687b)

  525. @304. BS, Dana??? Such language. But that’s your opinion.

    Television is a ‘cool’ medium, not prone to projecting ‘hot’ very well. Kavanaugh was poorly advised on this; he went way over the top and presented himself on national television as a temper-tantrumed man-child; weepy, unstable and immature. Quite a contrast to Dr. Ford’s more subdued and sober presentation and particularly to that of Judge Thomas years ago. Back in the day, Thomas was angry- even indignant, but resolved, firm, and above all, mature. Thomas maintained an even strain; Kavanaugh did not. Wasn’t smart, but then his audience was another man-child who was watching in the White House. The man was packaged and marketed as a ‘choirboy’- something that’s disingenuous. Had he been up front and honest about his character from the beginning, it would have defused much of this and we’d never be in this place today. But we’re at where we’re at.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  526. 525… Total indifference shown to the contemptible behavior of nearly every Democrat involved in that sordid shabfest. Very revealing.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  527. @526. We could compare it w/questioning from the GOP Senators but then there’s virtually nothing in the transcripts.

    ___________

    In Heaven there is no beer; that’s why we drink it here… eh, Brett.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  528. The repeated evasions of whether or not he wanted an FBI investigation were strange. I mean, why not ask for a full and complete investigation to lear the air and get the show on the road?

    JRH (388b2c)

  529. Because he did not want to sign on to the Democrats’ main talking point?

    nk (dbc370)

  530. @528. Right. It was. And besides, even if he asked for one, it is up to the president to order it and Trump can always say, ‘no need.’

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  531. The FBI now has five years to investigate perjury and subornation of perjury. Sleep well, Dr. Ford, Ms. Katz, and Mr. Avenatti.

    nk (dbc370)

  532. And an investigation will take time and then there will be more hearings, so that means this will be delayed until a new Congress is elected. The Democrats hope that will give them control.

    DRJ (15874d)

  533. Yeah, but asked whether he himself wanted an FBI investigation he refused to answer and instead answered questions he wasn’t being asked. He could have said “Yes I want an FBI investigation” or “no I don’t want an FBI investigation” but he became quite slippery. I do not believe the GOP actually wants the truth on this matter.

    JRH (388b2c)

  534. People having their pictures taken with woman on Capitol steps wearing ‘Men Are Trash’ t-shirt.

    As someone said earlier, these hearings are like a National IQ test. Amazing how many scored below 70.

    harkin (a4b010)

  535. I mean, why not ask for a full and complete investigation to lear the air and get the show on the road?”

    Yeah, give em an excuse for more delays and 20 more nitwits coming out of the woodwork to say he sacrifices virgins.

    harkin (a4b010)

  536. O think cannibalism was next up, yes we didn’t judge Cavanaugh with a rib bone personally, but informed sources.

    Narciso (4e48f2)

  537. Trump read out Graham’s cell number on TeeVee, once-upon-a-time, too, which caused him grief. The Senate’s Master Thespian just can’t catch a break from the balcony or the cheap seats.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  538. Rent-free 24x7x365…

    Haiku, this is the second time in a few days that I have had to remind you that I want commenters to keep the focus on the arguments and not on other commenters. Please don’t make me remind you again, OK?

    Patterico (115b1f)

  539. The repeated evasions of whether or not he wanted an FBI investigation were strange. I mean, why not ask for a full and complete investigation to lear the air and get the show on the road?

    It’s not his place to tell the Senate how to exercise their advise and consent role.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  540. You don’t hire a sex crimes prosecutor to attack an alleged victim of sex crimes. You hire a sex crimes prosecutor to allow an alleged victim of sex crimes to present her story as clearly and sympathetically as possible. And that’s what happened this morning.

    The question is, what was the goal of the Republican committee Senators? If the goal was to destroy Ford (as would be the case of a defense attorney in a criminal prosecution), then they failed miserably.

    But if the goal is to get Kavanaugh confirmed, then I am not sure. There are about five squishy Senators whom they have to get on board. People like Collins, Flake, Corker. If they had come against Ford like gangbusters, they would have lost them.

    As it stands, Ford came off as a confused and manipulated person. Maybe she really believes what she says, but it is hard to rely on anything she says as representing the truth. 35 years and intensive therapy can make one believe anything.

    Initial reports suggest that the squishys will indeed vote to confirm Kavanuagh. We will see what happens — anything can change. But if he is confirmed, then the strategy was a success.

    Even though it leaves people like us supremely frustrated that the Dems got away with a smear job. I don’t like it, but I will give up my emotional satisfaction at slamming her to get Kavanaugh confirmed. That, at least, seems to be the thinking being employed here. We will see if it works.

    Bored Lawyer (998177)

  541. Feinstein said she was honoring Blasey Ford’s wishes.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 9/27/2018 @ 4:44 pm

    518. Dustin (ba94b2) — 9/27/2018 @ 5:01 pm

    I found that cynical.

    There’s a very peculkiar point herewhich I think Grassley and other committee members seem to have missed.

    Feinstein understood that when Ford want her allegation to be kept confidential, she meant confidential from the other committee members.

    If so, what was the point of telling Feinstein? Feinstein was already committed to vote against Kavanaugh.

    Well, You can say

    A) To decide if she should go public at the last minute if the nomination looked it would go through.

    B) To stiffen up Feinstein’s opposition.

    C) To see if other allegations from later in Kavanaugh’s life came in.

    It’s really A.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)

  542. Dustin: I found a lot of Feinstein’s conduct towards Ford to be pretty much evil. Throwing out that maybe Ford’s the leaker (which would mean Ford perjured herself).

    She didn’t say that. She said something, which undoubtedly came from Ford’s lawyers (who probably knopw exactly hjow this was leaked and how Ford was forced into the open) to the effect that some of the people whom Ford discussed this with in July talked to some people, who talked to some people, and somehow it all went viral just now.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/09/27/kavanaugh-hearing-transcript

    FEINSTEIN: Senator, I don’t think the letter was ever leaked.

    CORNYN: Well how in — how did the press know to contact her about her complaint?

    FEINSTEIN: She — apparently she testified here this morning that she had talked to friends about it, and the press had talked to her.

    They know that under the usual conventions of not asking reporters to disclose their sources, this cannot be rebutted. Except for its improbability.

    It may be also that it is know that some reporters had possession of her letter, but I don’t know if they did. The text of her letter was not released till very very late. Perhaps some news organizaations had that or quoites from it before its release.

    Sammy Finkelman (02a146)


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