NEW: GOP senators are considering using their female staffers to question Christine Blasey Ford. So it’s not a bunch of white men questioning her. https://t.co/G6rEydigi4
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) September 18, 2018
There’s an easier way to not have all white men questioning witnesses regarding sexual assault in the Senate, and that’s by electing more women and minorities and not nominating scumbags to the Supreme Court.
More women in the House won’t hurt, either:
Kendra is actually coming to my small town on Friday, and I will be attending. Then she is headed down the road to the big city of Wheeling, and I will be attending that, too, hopefully with a bunch of college students with me.
Mary G
Republican women will be much better; sensitive, fair, woke, feminists. NOT. They’ll try to slut-shame her, maybe more than the men. Thinking of Megyn Kelly, Ann Coulter, and Sarah Sanders.
Roger Moore
In related news, Mark Judge, the guy who’s supposed to be the witness who can vouch for Kavanaugh’s good behavior, has said he’d rather plead the fifth than testify in front of the Senate. What does it say when your character witness doesn’t want to testify because it might incriminate him?
ruemara
They really have to understand that women are not falling for it. Only their complicit women will but they’d fall for anything as long as it’s conservative.
hugely
omfg – what a bunch of… dicks. I was going to use the other pejorative which fits as well. Even when they are doing their jobs they are NOT doing that either? handing it off to staffers. This is low grade kabuki
geg6
@Roger Moore:
This is why the GOP doesn’t want him to testify. He can’t because of the lack of a statute of limitations for rape/attempted rape in Maryland. And if they call him and he takes the Fifth, that as bad as admitting it in the public’s eyes. Jesus, what a fucking mess.
Snarki, child of Loki
@geg6: Ms. Ford was 15 when she was sexually assaulted.
What was the age of consent back then? 16? 18?
STATUATORY RAPE, K-BRO!
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
Wow, these clowns are real geniuses, aren’t they? Shit. But I guess flighty, over-emotional women are too dumb to see the truth if it’s a bunch of nice, prim women trying to rake this woman over the coals. It’s bound to work!
On an unrelated note, I’m thinking it’s time to change my user name again. I’m leaning toward Osaac Lillington Hefflewhimp. Though I might go with Milledge B. Wreaxheaver. Such weighty choices to be made here…
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
Crap. That should be Isaac Lillington Hefflewhimp…
J R in WV
Is there a more cowardly bully than an elected Republican politician?
I think not, on the evidence appearing in these hearings.!!…
Gin & Tonic
@geg6:
Yeah, I’m heartbroken.
trollhattan
Better yet, use interns.
“So, like, when you went to, you know, the party was it a party-party with a DJ and full bar, or kinda like, you know, just chilling with bong hits? Did you bring your besties?”
Schlemazel
@hugely:
dicks, while problematic, re useful for couple of things. These guys are not dicks, they are not useful for anything
Roger Moore
@geg6:
There was an interesting related point that Matt Yglesias made on Twitter earlier. He pointed out that people who score well on the LSAT skew liberal. This means there’s a relative shortage of first rate conservative lawyers, so conservative politicians who want to appoint ideologically aligned lawyers are pulling from a much narrower talent pool than liberals are. It’s one more point that helps to explain why so many conservative judges are hacks.
tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)
How exactly does this work? The Senate has made the invitation with the weight of that body behind it. Why should anyone feel obligated to answer staffers’ questions? They’re not elected representatives. Has this ever been done before? If I were Ms. Ford, I’d point to the female staffer and say I flew out here to talk to that guy, not you. If you want me to answer your questions, get elected.
Major Major Major Major
Jeez, what the hell, people.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Roger Moore: Exhibit A, Clarence Thomas.
And one thing I’ve noted, reading some of the comments about this, is that even the conservative voices are not claiming Thomas as an example of an outstanding jurist and fine legal mind who proves that the best way to get great judges is for the Senate to ignore those pesky details of personal behavior…..
J R in WV
@Roger Moore:
Oh my, how marvelous for “Judge” Kanavaugh — his only hope of escaping this assault charge, his lone male character witness, going to take the Fifth Amendment to avoid testifying to support “Judge” Kavanaugh~!!!!~ How swell for Dr. Professor C. Ford, no one will take the “Judge’s” side under oath…
Major Major Major Major
@geg6: supposing he’s confirmed, could a future Congress run by, say, Democrats subpoena him and ask him?
Patricia Kayden
@Mary G: No matter the gender, Republicans tend to be bigots so it won’t make any difference if women staffers do the questioning. I don’t see how this is going to end well for Republicans except that they’ll probably vote Kavanaugh through next Wednesday. Women voters are going to be pissed though.
piratedan
reading that Grassley has cancelled the scheduled Thursday committee vote on Kavanaugh
NotMax
I believe the collective term is a firkin of college students.
:)
Ruckus
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat):
Very good point.
I wonder if this is even allowed? He would be giving sworn testimony, to someone not an elected person.
Not to mention the optics of senators lacking the balls to sit there and ask the questions.
Schlemazel
@Major Major Major Major:
there is a separation of powers issue & it could get ugly fast. they could start impeachment hearings, yes.
Schlemazel
@NotMax:
merkin?
Gin & Tonic
@Major Major Major Major: Hey, you’re continuing to have a cert problem here because the cert is for *.ssl.hwcdn.net and not for *.balloon-juice.com. FYI.
SFAW
@Chacal Charles Calthrop:
I predict the money quote from Kavanaugh’s “testimony,” when questioned by a hard-ass Dem Senator, will be something close to “in my view, as a privileged white boy, this is a high-tech lynching of an American Patriot who hates uppity blacks.”
You heard it here first.
dmsilev
@piratedan: I thought that once they committed to having another hearing on Monday (which they did yesterday), that pretty much required shoving back the vote. Or, I suppose, they could have voted first and then held the hearing; that’d be very much on-brand for the GOP.
eemom
@Gin & Tonic:
Maybe that’s why my server just told me I couldn’t trust this website?
randy khan
@ruemara:
The Dems should be all over this. It’s devastating. They should demand that he be subpoenaed, and if he isn’t, they should devote a lot of time to the question of why Mr. Judge would want to take the Fifth.
KSinMA
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): But I love your nym! It always puts a smile on my face.
NotMax
FYI.
Fort Trump? Trump considers permanent military base in Poland named after himself
TenguPhule
I welcome our new blogsite Privacy Error.
TenguPhule
@NotMax:
Fort Little Dick?
Schlemazel
I am deeply disappointed (and yet not the least surprised) that I have not heard from the Senior Senator from the frozen tundra in any of this. Despite being a woman, despite currently running for reelection, despite being (nominally) a Democrat, she has been invisible and as useless as tits on a boar hog.
Of course I will vote for her, what choice is there? An enigma wrapped in an empty suit but Senator for life
Major Major Major Major
@Gin & Tonic: strictly speaking that’s fixed but still propagating.
TenguPhule
@Roger Moore:
Hopefully impeachment and disbarment.
Schlemazel
@Schlemazel:
I should have added: Despite warming a chair on the judiciary committee.
And will also note “often voted with Bush her first two years in the Senate & lied about it to constituents”
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax: They could just go with Camp Mushroom.
TenguPhule
@J R in WV:
Yes. Them as children. The threat of physical retaliation was nearer and more promptly delivered.
AThornton
Apparently MSNBC has run footage of Brett Kavanaugh saying at a 2015 speech: “What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep–and we are all happy for that…”
TenguPhule
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Some mushrooms are quite large and imposing.
RSA
@eemom:
As if we didn’t have enough reason.
Gin & Tonic
@Major Major Major Major: OK.
TenguPhule
@NotMax:
I thought they were called a tide of college students.
Jay
@TenguPhule:
Fort Yeti Pubes.
Roger Moore
@TenguPhule:
Camp Enokitake.
Major Major Major Major
@Gin & Tonic: not like last time, in other words.
TenguPhule
@Roger Moore:
Well played.
Gin & Tonic
@Major Major Major Major: Remains to be seen.
NotMax
@TenguPhule
Indeed. Arguably the largest living organism on the planet.
Major Major Major Major
@Gin & Tonic: this is what I’ve been told. Also for me at least it fixed itself about 20x faster.
SFAW
@TenguPhule:
Not to pick nits, but I believe the correct version is “Lying Littledick.”
PAM Dirac
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat):
I’m thinking Dr. Ford asks the staffer “Aren’t you tired of doing his shit work and getting no credit” and the staffer says yes and goes on a rant.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Kind of like me.
TenguPhule
warning, FTFNYT link.
The war on American customers will continue until morale collapses.
Baud
@AThornton: I just hope the same is true for what happens at Balloon Juice.
SFAW
@Baud:
Did you get one of those “V” lapel pins/tie tacks?
Or was it not that kind of “fixed”? Sorry
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: zing!
George Spiggott
@TenguPhule:
Fort Stump.
TenguPhule
Now we know who gave Trump the idea, Gary Cohn.
NotMax
@TenguPhule
Included on the list for the newest tariffs are baseball gloves.
Because national security. //
?BillinGlendaleCA
@TenguPhule: These tariffs are starting to sound like the largest tax increase in history.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@TenguPhule:
Nobody said Trump understood sarcasm
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: The internets remember everything.
Doug R
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Camp Goomba
TenguPhule
Wow.
SFAW
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Which is why they had to pass the largest tax cut in history, to offset it for all those poor billionaires.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: except the balloon juice dot com DNS settings.
lgerard
GOP stalwart Nancy Kassebaum picks Democrat Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach
Some good news!
TenguPhule
@NotMax: But not Ipads. Because Apple has Trump’s nuts in the palm of his hand.
TenguPhule
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Be best.
Gelfling 545
@NotMax: I can see it all now. He’ll try to mske them pay a licensing fee for his “brand”.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@lgerard:
This is how Kobach’s spokesperson responded. All class:
No, Danedri, the party left them a long time ago and Democrats don’t trot these “has-beens” out, they speak freely of their conscience.
sm*t cl*de
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat):
Organ-grinder, not monkey.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: I’ve been told that all is OK and it will propogate.
trollhattan
@TenguPhule:
Same douchenozzle who held up the Campbell’s soup can to demonstrate steel tariffs would only cost Americans a couple pennies. That bridge over there? Used by MILLIONS!
TenguPhule
I was not aware that Congress had decamped to Australia.
And this would be the third or fourth change to his alibi now?
how in the world does Trump do it? Every single person he nominates is an utter shitball.
Reposted from below, fffing wp.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Ruckus: Would the Senators question him but the staffers question her? That’s a bad optic.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: by a wiser man than myself I hope!
TenguPhule
Is this still America?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@TenguPhule:
He was very clear and consistent about the thing he says he didn’t do at the party he clearly remembers not attending?
Anotherlurker
@RSA: @RSA: @RSA: @RSA: @Gin & Tonic: @Major Major Major Major: reply button not working for me. Also it says not to trust this site. If I can’t trust site, whom can I trust? Mac High Sierra 10.13.6
Gelfling 545
@TenguPhule: That makes no sense at all. That just means you’ll be paying more for a lot of things rather than a few. For the first time ever I agree with Trump. Ross is past his sell by date.
Major Major Major Major
@Gelfling 545: wasn’t he the one who tried to make a point by buying soup at 7-11?
TenguPhule
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Exactly.
Anotherlurker
@Anotherlurker: correction. Reply button works, but when clicked, does not go down to the reply box. Have to scroll manually. I’ll go away, now.
JMG
This idea just shows once again that the United States Senate is basically the world’s fanciest assisted living facility.
Kraux Pas
The Dark Truth about Toad
Roger Moore
@NotMax:
The moment he’s gone, we can consider a good name, like Fort Pulaski or Fort Kościuszko.
Kraux Pas
Also, too, does one capitalize prepositions when titling something?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@TenguPhule: BK’s surrogates seem to be moving closer to a “rough horseplay” defense, which is either a confession or they don’t believe him either.
It’s amazing that the Rs never put a woman on the Judiciary committee, given their agenda, or the agenda they use to get the rubes to go along with their real agenda, deregulation and union-busting. Even Paul Ryan figured out he needed Cathy McMorris-Rogers for “leadership” photo ops. I did a couple minutes of googling and it looks like the only woman in the R caucus with a law degree is Murkowski. Maybe neither she nor fellow phony moderate Collins want to get to close to the substance of the posing.
banditqueen
Maybe the women staffers who question Prof Ford. can be called, say, “aunts”–while their “commanders” observe just to keep things in line.
Major Major Major Major
@Kraux Pas: depends on the style guide.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Kavanagh’s buddy and potential witness:
Gravenstone
@TenguPhule: Mr. Ross seems to be (intentionally) confusing the difference between nobody being able to point to a single thing that costs more and recognizing that EVERYTHING now costs more.
Kraux Pas
@Major Major Major Major: Then will you be my style guide?
bemused
And I thought GW Bush era was blatantly corrupt, inept and loony.
Major Major Major Major
@Kraux Pas: god no, I wear hoodies everywhere.
Schlemazel
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
They have Klobuchar, she will do for the time being
Kraux Pas
@Major Major Major Major: Then I suppose you’d be leading me in circles.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Roger Moore:
Shortest street in the City of Los Angeles.
Major Major Major Major
@Kraux Pas: how do you figure?
frosty
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Gotta be longer than those two. You don’t want your “formerly” to be longer than the nym.
Kraux Pas
@Major Major Major Major: The hoodie on my back told me
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Major Major Major Major
@Kraux Pas: Ahha.
Ruviana
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Gee, I kinda liked Osaac.
Ruviana
@trollhattan: You have a youthful person in your home, don’t you.
Major Major Major Major
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): oh, I should mention that we don’t allow nym changes any more.
sukabi
It was only a matter of time…a re imagining of Ms. Daniels book
The Pale Scot
Webby stuff: BJ is getting listed as unsecured using USA ip, From the UK is fine
laura
Honorable men…… .so Ms. Ford is in hiding as a result of threats according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
And people wonder why women don’t report abuse. It always turns out so well for them.
The President wants Justice Gang Bang and he doesn’t care what the first daughter has to say about that.
Honus
@Roger Moore: that’s because for republicans pleading the fifth means they love the constitution and are innocent patriotic Americans. Like Ollie north when he got off in a technicality on immunity. He was a white guy so he got to pat the pocket constituion in his jacket and smirk that it wasn’t a technicality. Unlike the average mook who they get incensed about because he walks on a botched Miranda warning.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Things sound stormy at the White House.
Roger Moore
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
It’s short, but not the shortest. The shortest is Powers Place, which is only 13 feet long.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: That’ll cause real issues for “Steve in the [insert airport code here]”.
Redshift
@Gravenstone:
He’s demonstrating the universally assumption among rich Republicans that there’s no one who would have any difficulty paying a little more for stuff. Everyone can just tighten their belt a little, and if they’re too poor, it must be their own fault, so why should I care?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Roger Moore: I sit corrected.
Major Major Major Major
Yknow in Balloon-Juice.com’s defense it has way fewer certificate errors than the San Francisco MTA.
B.B.A.
@Roger Moore: Temple Street in NYC has it beat – it’s only 0 feet long!
dmsilev
Via Josh Marshall, everyone who had “less than 24 hours” in the “how long before the GOP went full asshole” pool can claim their winnings now:
dmsilev
@Major Major Major Major: And hopefully fewer people endlessly circulating underground than the Boston MTA.
Major Major Major Major
@dmsilev: I see we’ve gone from high-tech lynching to drive-by shooting!
Honus
@Roger Moore: put more succinctly, it means republicans are stupid.
dmsilev
@Major Major Major Major: And here I was thinking that the GOP was in favor of more guns in more places.
JPL
@dmsilev: The NYTimes is saying that she had to move out of her home and is in hiding because of death threats. Lindsay can kiss trump’s toad.
JPL
@laura: Yup.. We are a sick populace.
dmsilev
@JPL: The NYT just now:
If Senate Republicans wanted to conduct an actual inquiry to try to actually determine what actually happened, you’d think that asking an agency or office or bureau of the federal government that specializes in investigations would be a good first step, but I’m guessing that’s not really what they’re after.
sm*t cl*de
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Advertisement potential. “So you think you’re a Republican. Kris Kobach says you’re not. You don’t have to vote for him.”
The Pale Scot
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I’m sure there are specie names and behaviors galore that can be used to tag him
JPL
@dmsilev: Mediaite.com has a clip from CNN.
link
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
Every accusation is a declaration of intent. Ford is now in hiding.
El Caganer
@NotMax: I thought the Space Force was going to establish Fort Trump on Uranus.
Aleta
Last night quite a few places wrote ‘Kav’s nomination is in serious trouble.’ Yet I can’t see Trump withdrawing him though– he claims to live by the words ‘never show weakness and never admit defeat.’ This near the election, he must be near phobic about appearing less than dominant. (Of course, he’s the guy who, when not invited somewhere, just lies and announces that he declined the invitation.) And I sort of think Kavanaugh might be stealthily insistent on appearing dominant himself. As though he believes that once exposed it might be all over for him. Yes I know, it won’t be over for him. He’ll be cushioned with pillows of congealed rancid gravy. The whole thing makes me sick.
Dan B
@El Caganer: Yeah… Try saying Fort Trump fast five times and you end up on Uranus, or close by.
Ruckus
@Anotherlurker:
Just updated the new security update for mac.
Having the same problem. Have to scroll down, the reply button at least half works.