The Kavanaugh Hearing

Thank you, Tom_R, but I understood the antecedent. Think nothing of “it.”

Thank you both for reading that which I intended.

TomR

Just got this horrible link in an email from a family member. Seeing the insanity out there is hard enough but when it comes from someone you have know all of your life it is mind blowing.

https://www.infowars.com/bombshell-kavanaugh-accusers-salacious-high-school-yearbooks-scrubbed/

This is all a hoax. No school would allow such a yearbook to be printed.

     Although I don't keep track, I probably have worked on 30-40 cases of alleged sexual assault at a university over my career in counseling, teaching, and administration; some as a trained rape counselor, some as an appointed investigator, and some as the primary adjudicator. Reading about such cases in the news and drawing decisions as to innocence or guilt based on what a reporter may have written is asinine.  I have no doubt some of you have read about, and reached conclusions on, cases which I personally know were reviewed by a DA who declined to pursue the charges due to the lack of tangible evidence.  Despite the clamor for a complainant to be unequivocally believed as telling "the truth" and the denials of the accused to be rejected and characterized as lies, that isn't how the system works...nor, in my opinion, should it.

     Since there is no statute of limitation on allegations of sexual assault in Maryland, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford can still file a criminal complaint.  The DA of Montgomery County (where I understand the alleged incident occurred) would have to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed.  However, Dr. Ford is not a fool and, no doubt, is acutely aware of the challenges of filing any complaint.  Plus, those obstacles are compounded by the fact it is alleged to have occurred 35 years ago.  She probably realizes that the public "hearing" of the Kavanaugh matter in the Senate may be the closest to a courtroom she might ever get.  I can't imagine what it's like to have to prepare for this in a few days and to do it not in a small court room or by video-conference but in a Senate hearing room filled with reporters and spectators analyzing her every word and partisan politicians looking to use her for their own devices.  It is a monumental task.  Yet, it seems to be something about which she has been thinking - possibly obsessing - for decades. So, I have to think she has a pretty good idea of what she wants to say because she has been running it through her mind for years.  

     Frankly, she might not care if he is confirmed.   I know that's what the politicians on both sides see this whole thing as being about but that might not be her motivation.  Rather, she might simply use this opportunity to say things to him (and his friends) that she's wanted to say since 1982...to free herself of what she's been carrying around in her mind for decades and to assert her independence from the events of the past.  That is, in fact, what many victims seek.   Victims don't always equate imprisonment or expulsion with justice.  Rather, many seek a combination of self-redemption and self-empowerment even more and leave it to the system to do the rest.  They want to look in the eyes of the person who they believe wronged them, to tell them how what they did impacted them, and to say "you no longer have power over me".  Of course, that isn't easy to do. It takes an incredibly strong person.

     I realize I am speculating based on my own experience so I may be wrong.  Regardless, I hope that this process brings her some sense of peace...but I fear it will not.  I also hope she understands that a SC confirmation does not mean her allegations are false any more than a non-confirmation proves they were true. Only she and Kavanaugh (and possibly one other person) know for sure what happened that night in 1982 and nothing that occurs in a Washington political theater is likely to prove or change that.

galileo said:
This is all a hoax. No school would allow such a yearbook to be printed.

This is no hoax. Maybe no school would allow in 2018, but the kind of stuff printed in those pages wasn’t out of the ordinary for the early 1980s. 

The Cult of First Amendment blog (sounds phony to me) says the yearbook has been scrubbed from the internet. Let someone check the real book.

I’m sure physical copies of the yearbook exist so if it is a hoax is will be exposed as such. Until then I don’t see any reason to believe it’s a hoax. 

Things were a lot more permissive and anything-goes 36 years ago. I believe a lot of questioning at the hearing will be around that theme, and Republicans will try to make 1982 Blasey Ford look like a partier and sexpot to undercut her credibility. I’m sure she’s preparing for this. 

GL2 said:
...and the potential revelations after he's sworn in. Nothing like 2 tainted GOP Justices.
 

 I don’t understand what you’re saying here.  Two tainted GOP Justices are still two GOP Justices.  Clarence Thomas has been on the bench for what, 27 years, and shows no sign of slowing down.     What have been the consequences of his taintedness?   Maybe he’s been left out of some BBQ’s or softball games, but it seems to me that his vote has been as valid as any other.  

Red_Barchetta said:

GL2 said:
...and the potential revelations after he's sworn in. Nothing like 2 tainted GOP Justices.
 

 I don’t understand what you’re saying here.  Two tainted GOP Justices are still two GOP Justices.  Clarence Thomas has been on the bench for what, 27 years, and shows no sign of slowing down.     What have been the consequences of his taintedness?   Maybe he’s been left out of some BBQ’s or softball games, but it seems to me that his vote has been as valid as any other.  

 I'm suggesting that there could be additional revelations which the dems are sure to pursue. May be a stretch but there is such a thing as impeaching a Justice. SCOTUS's credibility is already tainted by silent Clarence with the Tea Party wife, whom no one believes (re Hill) at this point but cons see as a reliable vote. Combine that with the Merrick Garland snub and now the Brett thing. SCOTUS was the last untainted body in government. No more. Not that this matters to people who just want conservative votes, but it does affect credibility. At this point, "justice" simply means "what's the balance of the Court?"

So, if the issue is # of votes, fine. You're right. 

Norman_Bates said:
   ...
     Frankly, she might not care if he is confirmed.  
...

I read recently that she told her husband (I think) that she can't live in this country if he's on the Supreme Court. She's going through a hell most of us can't imagine.

drummerboy said:

I read recently that she told her husband (I think) that she can't live in this country if he's on the Supreme Court. She's going through a hell most of us can't imagine.



 

I hadn't seen that but it appears you are correct. Whether she truly and personally would be in danger were Kavanagh to be appointed is, of course, debatable.  But, it is entirely understandable that the very thought of having someone whose name inflames old injuries in such an important position certainly could be painful.  At the very least, the discomfort of hearing his name and seeing his picture every time the court ruled on a case would be difficult, potentially causing her to re-live the event.  We know that trauma can cause exaggerated responses in people.  However, it is not for me or anyone else to decide what is normal or rational. That she sincerely may feel either fear or discomfort is her own private truth which we must accept...no one else can deny her those feelings. 

Norman_Bates said:

drummerboy said:

I read recently that she told her husband (I think) that she can't live in this country if he's on the Supreme Court. She's going through a hell most of us can't imagine.



 

I hadn't seen that but it appears you are correct. Whether she truly and personally would be in danger were Kavanagh to be appointed is, of course, debatable.  But, it is entirely understandable that the very thought of having someone whose name inflames old injuries in such an important position certainly could be painful.  At the very least, the discomfort of hearing his name and seeing his picture every time the court ruled on a case would be difficult, potentially causing her to re-live the event.  We know that trauma can cause exaggerated responses in people.  However, it is not for me or anyone else to decide what is normal or rational. That she sincerely may feel either fear or discomfort is her own private truth which we must accept...no one else can deny her those feelings. 

Yes to that. I was bullied in high school by a budding criminal, and I had many a sleepless night because of that. I was bothered by it for years after it stopped, and even as an adult I occasionally googled his name to see what had happened to him.  (Turns out he died a few years ago.)

But, of course, none of his attacks on me compared to what happened to Ms. Ford and I can fully understand her angst if all of a sudden this man were to become one of the most powerful men on the planet.

New allegations coming forward from Kavanaugh's college years.

Morganna said:
Just got this horrible link in an email from a family member. Seeing the insanity out there is hard enough but when it comes from someone you have know all of your life it is mind blowing.
https://www.infowars.com/bombshell-kavanaugh-accusers-salacious-high-school-yearbooks-scrubbed/

 The Source is Infowars.....  enuf said.  Holton keeps every class yearbook in their school.  Knowing what I do about Holton, there is no way they would publish that.

What pisses me off is that many GOP senators have already said that they will vote to confirm, no matter what Dr Blasey says.  This just confirms what we already know.  The GOP is run by misogynist bullies from top to bottom and it’s time to put them all out with the trash.

campbell29 said:

Morganna said:
Just got this horrible link in an email from a family member. Seeing the insanity out there is hard enough but when it comes from someone you have know all of your life it is mind blowing.
https://www.infowars.com/bombshell-kavanaugh-accusers-salacious-high-school-yearbooks-scrubbed/

 The Source is Infowars.....  enuf said.  Holton keeps every class yearbook in their school.  Knowing what I do about Holton, there is no way they would publish that.


What pisses me off is that many GOP senators have already said that they will vote to confirm, no matter what Dr Blasey says.  This just confirms what we already know.  The GOP is run by misogynist bullies from top to bottom and it’s time to put them all out with the trash.

 Yes Infowars and I wonder if he even knew who Alex Jones was and what he was forwarding. It just illustrates the culture of get a link get a post and hit share or forward. When I emailed back, I pointed out where it came from and I don't think he even recognized the site or the name. He's just fixated on the Dems and what they are doing. Its like after months of patient explaining and attempts at reasoning, he still thinks I'm going to see the light!

I tried insisting that we not talk politics but after reading several posts on a few threads, I thought I should not be lazy, and just tough it out and debate the issues as reasonably as I could. I have an escape valve, a couple of friends that I can call and say, "you can't believe what he just sent me."

Its a lot of work but I have to believe that it's important to start to bridge this divide.

Of course that's me trying to "go high when they go low" but the other me wants to Just punch somebody, ......just do it.

There is a hailstorm of shoes dropping off of the centipede tonight. Whether or not the new accusations have any bearing,  one thing is certain: they will continue.  

talkingpointsmemo.com:  Things Moving Very Fast

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/things-moving-very-fast

forbes.com:  How the Republican Leadership Broke the Four Rules of Crisis Management

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/09/23/how-the-republican-leadership-broke-the-four-rules-of-crisis-management/#6e9c216c68d7

Have to hand it to the DNC here.  brilliant plot.

Can’t wait to see what they cook up in Act III.

Robert_Casotto said:
Have to hand it to the DNC here.  brilliant plot.


Can’t wait to see what they cook up in Act III.

 Yes, right now they're interviewing damaged women for Act 3. Sheesh  

Let's see...we've got a giant drunken frat boy from the 100 Keg Club and women with nothing to gain and everything to lose. Credibility?

Then there are the Yale Law grads who were told to "dress" for a shot at clerking for Brett..."all his clerks look like models."

All we need is for the Heritage Foundation and Americans for Prosperity to pick someone else from their list of anti-Roe possibilities. No problem here. It's not like the Idiot-in-Charge will make the pick (Rudy, Pirro). No one would leave it to him.

Wonder if Brett was sporting one of those mushroom thangs.

GL2 said:
All we need is for the Heritage Foundation and Americans for Prosperity to pick someone else from their list of anti-Roe possibilities. No problem here. It's not like the Idiot-in-Charge will make the pick (Rudy, Pirro). No one would leave it to him.

 I'm spared Piro as my recent cable downgrade eliminates Fox but I got an unwanted peek of her last night in a clip ranting Demon Rats over and over as her t-shirt ready phrase for Democrats.

She could almost get me to wish for Rudy.

She's one of a kind for sure. Her delivery...wow.

The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, one of the authors of the story detailing Deborah Ramirez’s account of alleged sexual misconduct perpetrated by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, said that rumors of the alleged episode were so widespread that the New Yorker reached out to Ramirez—not the other way around.

“She didn’t come forward with it,” Mayer said Monday on NBC’s “Today.” “What happened was, the classmates at Yale were talking to each other about it, they were emailing about it. We’ve seen the emails, back in July before Christine Blasey Ford came forward, and eventually the word of it spread.”

“It spread to the Senate. It spread to the media,” she continued. “And [we] reached out to her. After giving it really careful consideration for six days, she decided to talk to [Ronan Farrow].”

TPM

Robert_Casotto said:
Have to hand it to the DNC here.  brilliant plot.

Indeed. That they nominated such a guy only to undermine him might be he cleverest thing I've ever seen.

Yale Law School students are staging a sit-in, seeking an investigation of sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. 

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/yale-law-students-refuse-to-go-to-class-stage-sit-in-over-brett-kavanaugh-assault-claims/

"A third woman is expected to publicly make accusations of sexual misconduct against supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh this week, her attorney Michael Avenatti said.

Matters relating to the additional individual date back to Georgetown preparatory school, Avenatti said.

“I’m going to be representing her and I may be representing some corroborating witnesses, and we plan on releasing additional information,” he told the Guardian.

Avenatti tweeted on Sunday evening that: “I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.”

Within minutes on Sunday night, Avenatti had been contacted by Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations for the judiciary committee, asking that any additional information “be submitted so that Senate investigators may promptly begin an inquiry”.

Avenatti replied that he was aware of significant evidence of Kavanaugh and Mark Judge, in summary, participating in “the targeting of women” with alcohol or drugs at house parties in the Washington DC-area in the early 1980s “in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to gang rape them”.

Avenatti then posted: “Senate investigators should pose the following questions to Judge Kavanaugh without delay and provide the answers to the American people,” and then listed detailed questions, including: “Did you ever target one or more women for sex or rape at a house party? Did you ever assist Mark Judge or others in doing so?”

On Monday he further posted that his new client has previously worked within the state department, the US Mint and the Department of Justice and has been granted multiple security clearances in the past. “The GOP and others better be very careful in trying to suggest that she is not credible,” he added."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/24/brett-kavanaugh-third-woman-expected-to-make-accusations-of-sexual-misconduct

(Trying so hard not to feel Schadenfreude, but not that successful so far.)

I’ll have to say for once the Dems are putting up a heck of a fight and I love it. A SCOTUS seat deserves nothing less. The Republicans would give us nothing less.