And so the evidence emerges of other Kavanaugh incidents, just as I [and the rest of the civilized world] predicted. It is really worth reading this New Yorker story by Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow. It seems that Kavanaugh's drunken and sexually aggressive behavior was well known to fellow Yalies and was the topic of contemporaneous email chatter.
Hardly a surprise.
Now the always eager Michael Avenatti announces that he has, as a client, yet a third woman with a Kavanaugh story to tell.
I think we may yet defeat Kavanaugh. Whether McConnell can railroad through a substitute nominee before the new Congress is sworn in remains to be seen, but if he cannot, and if the Democrats can retake the Senate, then Chief Justice Roberts can preside over an eight-person court until 2020.
Fair is fair.
Prof. Wolff, that is the ideal scenario you laid out. Any alternative seems better than confirming Kavanaugh.
ReplyDeleteSome of the conservatives have been rumbling about nominating Barrett in his place. She's a woman, and she was considered closely already before the choice of Kavanaugh. She has the qualifications, and at least is unlikely to have sexual scandal in her past. They may be able to get her in quickly.
ReplyDeleteIf Kavanaugh goes, the odds should be much better for the Democrats as I'm sure any background investigation against another nominee will plumb the depths of high school, college and law school--and that could take some time. If by then the Democrats control the Senate (and McConnell could always call a lame duck session) then any nominee will have to pass muster with them. Merrick Garland is a name that comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteThe new Democrat cheer: "When they go low, we go lower!"
ReplyDeleteAll's fair in love and judicial confirmation battles.
While Judge K's druken behavior's the main focus these days, there might be an even deeper connection to his finances and the sudden clearing of his substantial (gambling?) debts just before his nomination was announced. It is very suspicious.
ReplyDeleteJudge Kavanaugh has a new “virgin” defense.
ReplyDeleteThe syllogism goes something like this:
A teenager who attempts to rape a girl, but does not succeed, is no longer a virgin.
A first-year male college student who exposes himself to a female undergraduate student is no longer a virgin.
I was a virgin throughout high school and for several (unspecified) years thereafter.
QED: I never attempted to rape Prof. Blasey Ford or exposed myself to Deborah Ramirez.
Regardless whether the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh are true or false, if this is typical of his analytical aptitude (and according to his fellow judges on the D.C. Circuit who have criticized his dissents for distorting the facts and law to conform with his conservative ideology, it is), he is not qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice.
It appears that Trump may fire Rosenstein on Thursday, thus severely undermining the impact that Ford's testimony will have on the public.
ReplyDelete