Christine Blasey Ford is smart to demand an FBI investigation before she will testify. If the Republicans deny her that, it’s clear proof they aren’t interested in getting at the truth.
Senate Republicans wanted a set up in which it would be her testimony against Kavanaugh’s. No investigation, no corroborating witnesses or evidence. Just her word against his. Then they could pat themselves on the back, declare that she had been heard and then decide that Kavanaugh is more credible. You could see it coming a mile away.
White nationalist websites have published Professor Ford’s address. She has received death threats. She and her family have had to leave their home and go into hiding. And people wonder why she hesitated to come forward.
The Republicans may very well succeed in putting Kavanaugh on the court, but it’s going to cost them, especially in the upcoming midterms. And I think at least some of them realize that.
The only penalty-free way out of this mess for the Republicans would be for Kavanaugh to withdraw his name from nomination. I’m sure Trump is opposed to that, though. The senators may have to choose between Trump and the good of the party.
As a side note, Trump also has been hurting Florida Republicans with his denials of the Puerto Rico death count. He put Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in the position of having to disagree with him publicly. Trump is now especially furious with DeSantis, believing DeSantis owed him for his primary win. Professional moron and Fox News bobblehead Lou Dobbs declared that Scott and DeSantis had ignored “science, statistics and evidence” by disagreeing with President Donald Trump about how many people died in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria. Trump retweeted Dobbs’s comments.
Say hello to Gov. Andrew Gillum and, possibly, Sen. Bill Nelson.
Dobbs, who helped start spacedotcom back at the turn of the last century, has apparently mentally degenerated due to conservatism to the point where he, like others of his tribe, also quedtions science.
Hell, by this point, I wouldn't be shocked to hear that he was telling his grandkids that there's no such things as stars, but those lights at night are souls floating around in Purgatory, hoping to get into Heaven – which is even farther up.
Lou Dobbs began his descent into Foxforbrains years ago. I kept noticing his slide away from facts. I did not expect him to be so desperate to keep a job that he would say what I see reported now. Of course, Glenn Beck is an example of how bad it can get.
" Sen. Bill Nelson "
You know if a middle of the road incumbent like Nelson can't beat the guy who's company paid the largest fine ever for defrauding the federal government (medicare fraud) then well, he doesn't deserve the seat. Isn't it funny how republicants are willing to ignore massive billion dollar fraud at the expense of taxpayers but they get all "torches and pitchforks" over some minority buying lobsters with food stamps!
Republicans always look out for each other. I love Carrey’s art.
The whole judiciary show is a farce
They want to put on a show and then ram him up our asses. Proven liar about tortureabout stolen emails, Vincent foster murder conspiracy theorist,very questionable finances , and lied under oath to get on the bench to begin with. Big fat hypocrite and evidently prep school party boy
Zero character, just the type the Republicans like.
At a bare minimum, the FBI needs to interview everyone from the party and subpoena Judge. Anything else is a farce. The GOP’s best option *is* to have the sex offender to pull out, but I’m not sure they have the brains to get to that conclusion. Better that than 1. Drive the few remaining women out of the GOP 2. Have Party-boy get later hit with perjury AND sexual assault charges, when the investigations inevitably finish. Not to mention the tax fraud stuff….,
I want to be hopeful, but it’s tough right now. Personally, I don’t think calling for an FBI investigation but not testifying is helping Ford. As assholish as Republicans are, I think she should testify as she committed to doing. That’s me though and I am just cynical at the moment.
Go McCaskill !!!!:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/09/19/claire-mccaskill-says-shes-voting-no-brett-kavanaugh-president-trumps-supreme-court-nominee/1363181002/?from=new-cookie
My current feeling: Grasshopper is going to insist on doing the Ford hearing without giving the FBI a chance to gather more dirt on Judge Sex Offender. Collins and Flake are wavering and Mikulski is quiet. I think Ford needs to show up and open by taking Grasshopper apart on the Senate floor as a worm with no backbone or decency. Slow things up enough to get the FBI report. Which sounds like it will offer support to Ford.
I really don't know how these things work but it looks like the best thing for Ford to do is show up for the Senate hearing as Trump is not going to order an FBI investigation. When is this Trump thing going to be over? I'm getting very sick and I'm running out of things to throw at the TV.
If the GOP is going to railroad the nomination, it's up to Ford to demonstrate bad faith. The FBI should take the information they have and begin an inquiry. Who might know if this was SOP for these privileged princes of the DC elites. Were there other complains from the era with a similar fingerprint? Other victims? The only reason for NOT investigating is to prevent potential facts from complicating Trump's selection.
If Ford testifies and there's no investigation, the GOP runs to vote before facts and witnesses emerge. Why lend credibility to the farce? Ford should insist on a public hearing before the committee AFTER the FBI has weighed in, asked questions and submitted a report. The facts which the FBI finds or does not find should be included as part of the basis for a conclusion.
The spirit of Howell Heflin howls from the grave…"Are you a woman scorned?"
The women who faced their inquisitors at the Salem Witchcraft trials had a better shot at seeking the truth than any woman would have in finding honesty and fairness among the current lineup of GOP Senators. Worst among them are guys like Graham and Flake who shelter behind the pretense of seeking truth and fairness while holding firm to deceit and dishonesty.
Interesting, or telling thing about the Kavanaugh nomination is that, he was not on the list Trump produced in 2016, of potential SC judges. He was added to the short list well after the Russia investigation was closing in on Trump. McConnell advised against picking him; maybe he knew a lot of what's coming out now, and how politically costly it would be for them to push him through. Of that short list, Kavanaugh was the only judge who was so absolute in his view that the president couldn't be held legally responsible for anything, and not even face civil suits while in office.
It would not surprise me if they don't abolish Roe, because that's a major fear point for the GOP, in keeping the rubes riled up that they won’t want to lose, since fear is all they got. But Kav's role is to pull Trump's tiny balls out of the fire.