Confirm or disqualify Kavanaugh forthwith.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Now that a 36-year old charge of attempted rape has been raised against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, one of two things must happen to avoid severe damage to the republic.
The first is that Christine Blasey Ford could convince reasonable observers that she’s telling the truth. Protestations from the Left to the contrary, there is at this moment more than ample room for doubt. Ms. Ford’s story of having been sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh while the two were in high school was set forth in a letter that she sent to California Senate Democrat Diane Feinstein. Sen. Feinstein sat on that letter from July 30 all the way through the Senate confirmation process – a process during which Sen. Feinstein met personally with Kavanaugh – only to release it in the 59th minute of the 11th hour.
Ms. Ford’s tardiness in bringing the accusation – 36 years – coupled with Sen. Feinstein’s tardiness in calling it to the attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee – is enough to raise the suspicions of even the least cynical among us.
Too much detail is missing from Ms. Ford’s recollection. Where did the incident happen? In what year did it happen? Who else was at the “gathering” of which she speaks in her letter? Ms. Ford can answer none of these questions. There is exactly zero corroborating evidence to support Ms. Ford’s charge. On the strength of her allegation as it now stands, no prosecutor in the country would open a case.
Further damaging her claim is the absence of a subsequent pattern of behavior on the part of Brett Kavanaugh. In stark contrast to the allegations that felled such luminaries as Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer and others, no other woman has come forward against Brett Kavanaugh. Dozens have come forward in support.
If Brett Kavanaugh is the sort of man given to sexual assault against women, we should see it in his behavioral history subsequent to a single, decades old alleged incident. Put simply, we need more than the hazy, late-in-the-game and strategically timed recollections of an event from 36 years ago to scuttle a judicial nominee with an otherwise impeccable personal and judicial record. Therefore, Ms. Ford needs to convince us.
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If she can’t, there’s only one other option. Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination should be sent to the Senate floor and Republicans should confirm him forthwith. If too many Republicans go squishy and weak-kneed and withhold a confirming vote, the Democrats win for all time. No truly conservative jurist will ever be confirmed to the high court ever again. Indeed, few will even accept a nomination. If the charge alone is decisive, the charges will never stop coming.
It’s interesting that Democrats lionized Ted Kennedy, at whose hand a young woman actually died. The same for Bill Clinton, who was very believably charged with rape by Juanita Brodderick.
But that’s how Democrats roll. And if they take down Brett Kavanaugh on nothing more than a hazy allegation, they’ll continue to roll…right over the Constitution.
In my humble opinion, it is clear, that this is more of the same Democrat obstructionism playbook since day 1 of the duly elected Republican President, President Trump, by We The People.
President Trump has governed smartly, justly, fairly, and importantly… according to The Constitution of The United States of America.
The Democrats are not just opposed to our President, but they are vehemently intolerant of his governing style, which include the selection of Justice Neil Gorsuch and now Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
In our great nation, the presumption of innocence is with Judge Kavanaugh. The burden of proof–which to date is without any merit and yet to be proved–is with Dr. Ford. Just because he is a man, does not mean he is guilty. Nor does the accuser–just because she is a woman–mean she is telling the truth.
Mr. Gleiser, as you rightly pointed out in your excellent column, this whole matter seems very suspect and the American people have no reason to trust the Democrats who have acted in bad faith, getting down in the dirt & mire. From all the various accounts of those speaking out in support of Brett Kavanaugh, including many, many women friends and colleagues, also include The First Lady of the 43rd President of The United States, Laura Bush. All of this taken into account, that’s enough for me regarding the integrity Mr. Kavanaugh’s character.
You are absolutely correct about the Dems. It appears to me that they don’t care a lick for our Constitution and/or the rule of law. Very Disappointed !!! Having taught American Government in H.S. and college, as well as economics and history, the liberals/Dem’s/socialists, etc. are headed towards getting rid of our wonderful system of government.
THANK YOU for allowing the possibility that the accuser speaks the truth, a curiosity rare on The Right.
And we should all hope for timely resolution of this matter, which Judge Kavanaugh deserves. As do the American people, who shouldn’t suffer another 300 days with 8 sitting justices as we did when Judge Garland wasn’t duly considered.
A “curiosity?” I’d say that Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley has been absolutely scrupulous in allowing for the possibility that Ms. Ford is telling the truth. He has offered her just about every conceivable venue to make her case. Ms. Ford seems less than anxious to take chairman Grassley up as evidenced by the completely ridiculous conditions that she and her lawyer keep floating.
The accusations against Weinstein, Cosby, Lauer, et.al. had the ring of truth. And lest you say, “Of course you’d say that, they’re all libs and you don’t like libs,” I’d say, “The accusations against Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly rang similarly true.”
Nothing about what Ms. Ford is alleging is ringing true. Every bit of it clangs.
Interesting you left out Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan whose Senate hearings were held with NO insipid antics from either members of the Senate panel or the audience, both nominees were treated with the utmost respect AND both were seated on the Bench.
Concerning Judge Garland, are you really so politically naive to think that the Democrats would have acted any differently had the roles been reversed?
Interesting also, you not allowing the possibility that this is an inexcusable smear tactic toward Judge Kavenaugh, that unfortunately is NOT rare on The Left.
VERY well said.
Dr. Ford is not going to testify. They read her the definition of perjury.