I deliberately did not watch or listen to the hearings this morning, mostly because I have other work to do. I notice the leftie-leaning media are confident Professor Ford handled herself well. So I looked at not-leftie-leaning media. This is from Politico:
THERE ARE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS who are already hoping that the White House will pull BRETT KAVANAUGH’S Supreme Court nomination — “today,†as one put it to us. “Total disaster,†as another senior Republican told us. Factions in and around the White House — Trump allies — are getting concerned. As we said this morning: It’s hard to see what Kavanaugh can do to change the strikingly difficult political dynamics. He has already said, without a doubt, that he did not do anything — that has left him no wiggle room. We’ve not spoken to a single Republican so far who thinks this is going well for them. Most think it’s an abject disaster.
Also from Politico, GOP governors call for delaying Kavanaugh vote. And it sounds like Grassley was a total jerk.
Frat Boy gets his turn later, I understand.
Update: This is from the Wall Street Journal, secondhand via Raw Story:
The Wall Street Journal talked with several former Trump administration officialsabout Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee — and they all agreed that it was a disaster for Republicans.
One former Trump official described Ford as a “very credible witness†and said that her sworn testimony had gone “worse than any Republican could have expected.â€
Another former Trump official said that Ford’s testimony means that Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court is now in deep trouble — and they doubted that he could save it during his testimony.
“Ford’s testimony puts all the pressure on Kavanaugh,†they said. “He really needs to knock it out of the park.â€
And finally, a third official lamented that it would be almost impossible for Republicans to paint Ford as a lying political operative.
“She seems sincere, kind, thoughtful and credible,†they explained. “Hard to suggest she is politically motivated.â€
President Donald Trump is reportedly seething while watching Ford’s testimony because he has been surprised at how credible she seems as a witness.
Update: Josh Marshall, Blasey Ford’s Shining Moment; Grassley’s Catastrophe
I watched most of it. Dr. Ford seemed to be a regular person explaining a horrific experience? The prosecutor that the scared old rich white men hired did a horrible job and she knew it. Her last line of questions basically explained that the format she was required to follow (5 min question and answer) prevented her from conducting a meaningful interview. I'm sure she told the scared old rich white senators that this was a bad idea ahead of time but why would they listen to her, she doesn't have a P#nis!
Another word turd straight to the twit filter?
He talking now.
It's a cross between anger, insolence, victimhood and butthurt whining.
Some people look good when they're angry.
He ain't one of 'em.
Between his splochy complexion, and all that I previously mentioned, he looks like a spoiled frat boy – which he is, in reality – caught in a big lie.
To me, he looks more emotional than Ms. Ford when she was testifying.
And I'm not sure who's shed more tears.
Why I can't watch explained – a MAGA comment seen on dailykos yesterday:
Morons
Are
Governing
America
I watched very little of today's hearing, just been reading others' reporting. Glad Dr Ford came off so well. However I've been following this story from the beginning.
I noticed early on that I simply could not look at Kavanaugh. I'd turn away whenever he was shown on TV. It's that angry, entitled, right wing vibe that gets to me. The spoiled frat boy in a grown man's body. I hear he's bellowing,Trump-like, now that it's his turn at the mic.
Between his splochy complexion,
You mean his whiskey glow?
I understand Trump was pleased with Frat Boy's testimony. Claiming it's all a Democratic conspiracy by liberals who spent millions to get even for Clinton's defeat won the nominee a place in Trump's heart (if he had one.)
I don't think Trump will pull him. McConnell is no longer promising he has the votes. It all comes down to a completely crass question which has nothing to do with Kavanaugh's character. The question as a Senator is which way do I vote to save my ass because I will have to declare publicly when I vote and my opponent will beat me to death with the vote if he's actually a rapist. One thing that may happen in the House in 2019 is the investigation of Kavanaugh's accusers claims in preparation for a possible impeachment.
Hears the whole ball game in one pitch:
"Collins, Murkowski, Flake and Manchin are meeting now."
Beer Bong Brett exhibited all the signs of a drunk today, anger, rage, inability to concentrate, the blotchy skin, the sniffling…..Could you imagine if Dr. Ford had broke down and cried and yelled at the senators calling the whole procedure a sham! His testimony is no different than everything a wing-nut does these days, it's meant to impress Don the Con! Also Miss Lindsey seems to have wrapped up that nomination for AG today, I bet tRump just loved his little temper tantrum!
Well here we are.
We need Mark Judge's testimony.
And no Kavanaugh, this isn't about the Clintons.
Got home in time to hear PBS News Hour moderates discussing the case. But no outrage at Kavanaugh's rants about the Clintons and warnings that what goes around comes around; these represent a promise to carry out a partisan vendetta against "the Left" for the next forty years. The damn headlines should be screaming about this and the Dems ought to be saying that he is to be voted down not for what happened 35 years ago, but for what happened today in his testimony. This is conduct unbecoming a jurist and that is sufficient reason for summary rejection.
I fully expect to see the Framers of the Constitution burst out of a time machine and spray the Senate floor with automatic weapons fire. The meaning of "Boof" and the "Devil's Triangle" and the seven fs would justify their time travel for this purpose. No clarification on the news media that I heard today.
I’m skeptical by what I’m seeing that Kavanaugh won’t be on the Court. Seems like he did what he needed to do to shore up his support where it counts—Republicans. I’ll be pissed if Manchin votes for him.
I gave up any respect I have for the Supreme Court when Merrick Garland never got hearing. I have although given the Supreme Court a new name; notwithstanding the lovely smart, smart women on the court. The new name is the Supreme Contemptible Republican Court.
Maybe I should have my compassion meter calibrated, or at least checked out? I found that my eyes welled up during Dr. Ford's testimony and I could feel and understand her pain. But when Kavanaugh was heaving with emotion for the injustice he felt was done to him, I didn't feel anything remotely the same. Actually, I felt a sense of being played by Kavanaugh when he mentioned how his young daughter wanted to pray for "the woman". I discerned his comment as a stratagem to cast himself in a light of goodness that sheds mercy and tenderness upon those who are misguided. It just didn't resonate with my spirit.
I think about his attempt to throw legal obstacles in the path of that minor immigrant girl who was seeking to terminate her pregnancy. She had fought so hard to exercise her right and express her will. Kavanaugh knew that her struggle, in large part, was up against a time frame and yet he intentionally imposed a condition he knew would deny her her right. Only because his beliefs were in opposition to her right and her will.
Kavanaugh and Graham put on a show for Trump. way too obvious
A woman named Lynn Brooks was on CNN , saying she went to Yale with Kavanaugh, and she knew how he drank to incomprehension, and how he liked to go to a room where a guy and girl were having sex and barge in to embarrass and humiliate the woman and he would laugh about doing it. That story tells you he DID laugh at Dr Ford. He enjoyed humiliating women.
We know he lied about the Judge Kozinsky, about Leahy's stolen emails, about torture policy, participated in furthering the Vince Foster murder conspiracy etc . This man is a liar about large things and small.
“Kavanaugh and Graham put on a show for Trump. way too obvious.” I agree.
Kavanaugh played the Bork and High Tech Lynching cards, but he was obviously not in the same league as either Bork or Thomas. Just based on his performance, forget the allegations, forget his ideology, to my mind he is not fit to be a night court judge. Still, I am afraid that many of his authoritarian supporters will interpret his anger as a show of strength, which they admire. But they are not the swing votes in the Senate. Keep your fingers crossed.
The Senate must now take a strong clear stand against rape… or for it.
Well it looks like Beer Bong Brett is going to join the Supremes after all. Sen. Flake has his announced his support, saying: " "What I do know is that our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence to the accused, absent corroborating evidence. That is what binds us to the rule of law.". So Flake apparently thinks because there is not enough evidence to convict Brett in a court of law means sure he can sit on the supreme court? This really is a result of the right-wing media machine, without them these liars in the senate would be held to account. In the current climate of the right -wing echo chamber repugs can rest assured that they will be defended no matter what they say or do. I predict at least two democrats will vote for Kavanaugh then the wing-nuts will be able to call him a bipartisan nominee!
uncledad — Beer Bong Brett — I like it — yeah, his nomination is going to be confirmed by the committee, but he still needs a vote by the whole Senate to be confirmed to the Court. Chances are he will be, but I suppose we can hope.
Because I am retired with no obligations other than daily activities, I watched the whole thing. I really do like to observe body language. This is what I believe: Dr. Ford is telling the truth. I do not see that she has any motive to lie. She has gotten on with her life and has been successful in her career while dealing with the damage that was done to her. She has tried to heal while knowing there may never be complete healing. The trauma was too great. The culture in which females are prey and it's okay to use them and then blame them is just wrong. She was only 15 yo and that is a very vulnerable age for humans. How can any woman trust men if they know they will be taken advantage of at any opportunity? As to why she didn't tell, we have heard why from many victims? Perhaps her parents didn't know she was attending these parties and if she told, she wouldn't be able to do that anymore. She may have told herself that she wasn't actually raped and therefore she could work through it and be more careful in the future.
I believe Kavanaugh was a spoiled rich kid and he did drink to excess. Alcohol suppresses inhibitions and if he had any moral conscience from his Catholic upbringing he was able to ignore that. After all, he was a teenager also. Teens are difficult years. I can believe that he got through those years and turned his life around, got married, had children and put those years behind him. Perhaps he went to confession, was forgiven by the priest and felt that was enough. Although I believe he is guilty, I know he is suffering now. He has a family he loves and he realizes the pain this is bringing on them. He has two daughters and I know his instinct is to protect them. However, payday always comes and he is not acting in a moral, ethical way now. It's obvious that his coaching he got at the White House influenced his behavior in his testimony. The angry tirade and his suggestion that this is all a political attempt by the Democrats as revenge for losing the election surely pleased Trump. There is no reason for not allowing the FBI to investigate. Mark Judge went into hiding and should have been ordered to testify under oath.
I fear Kavanaugh will be confirmed and that makes me sick to my stomach but I believe in karma and we cannot escape it.
Boys will be boys…..
“Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter, the uproarious laughter between the two, and their having fun at my expense,” said Blasey. “I was underneath one of them while the two laughed. Two friends having a really good time with one another.”