Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

Battle won, war still ongoing.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Let there be snark.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

I was promised a recession.

No one could have predicted…

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

You are here: Home / Politics / America / Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing with Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh Live Feed Part II

Reader Interactions

280Comments

  3. 3.

    AThornton

    This is an absolute disaster for the GOP. Ford is entirely creditable. The GOP Senators are coming across as sneering, contemptuous, and vile.

    (re-posted from previous thread)

  4. 4.

    Elizabelle

    Senator Grassley, who gives a fuck what Committee staff did to investigate the allegations?

    It was a job for the FBI. All you are doing is making it clear you Republicans are stonewalling. And ….

    talks right over CBFord’s female attorney.

  8. 8.

    Tom Levenson

    Not watching. Not on twitter until I type “the end” — for a second time — on my MS. Following via the jackals, though, is enough to remind me that my loathing for the Republicans couldn’t get deeper…

    …and does with each passing moment.

  9. 9.

    Betty Cracker

    Obviously I’m biased, but I think this is an unmitigated disaster for the Republicans so far. Grassley comes off like a disgruntled, whiny vice principal screaming at the lunch ladies. The sex crimes investigator strategy has thoroughly backfired since the questions are in chapter form. Maybe Mitchell will pull off some sort of Perry Mason moment, but so far, she’s come up empty.

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    Something in the therapist notes may not jibe with CBFord’s testimony. Does Mitchell have the therapist notes? Or is she just fishing?

  15. 15.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Elizabelle: It was already reported that their is a discrepancy in the therapist’s notes. In fact, if I recall correctly, it was in the initial Washington Post report.

  16. 16.

    Elizabelle

    Banner headline on WaPost website:

    Ford says ‘100 percent’ certain that Kavanaugh assaulted her

    Interesting. Mitchell draws out that CBFord arrived in DC via airplane. She’d been hoping the Committee would come to her.

    Interesting. Did CBF’s attorneys dissuade her there?

  19. 19.

    Kay

    David Folkenflik
    ‏
    Verified account

    @davidfolkenflik
    32m32 minutes ago
    More
    Fox’s Chris Wallace: “This is a disaster for the Republicans.”

    It is. She’s a good witness. Just a strong person, really.

  22. 22.

    Adam L Silverman

    OT: Mother has not been pleased!

    From here:

  23. 23.

    Elizabelle

    Even dim lights can see how well this is going for CB Ford. WaPost website:

    Now a Kavanaugh FBI investigation is obligatory
    By Megan McArdle

  26. 26.

    Leto

    @Elizabelle: Grassley talking over Sen Klobuchar. Title of his autobiography, “I talk over women.” He comes off as such an asshole because he is such an asshole. Go back to Iowa with Ernst.

  27. 27.

    Betty Cracker

    I don’t know what the point of the air travel snipe hunt was. Plenty of people who are terrified of flying will fly if they have to. I’m one of them.

  28. 28.

    jacy

    @Elizabelle:

    The two things they are highlighting is that the therapist notes say there were four boys in the room, instead of four boys at the party. Ford has clarified that that was the therapist’s mistake, and not something misremembered. The second thing is that she did not give the name of Kavanaugh to the therapist. She told other people who it was but did not identify Kavanaugh by name to the therapist.

  29. 29.

    Elizabelle

    How the WaPost is not the FTF NY Times.

    The press conference from ‘The Twilight Zone’
    By Jennifer Rubin

    In the Grey Lady, Bret Stephens is warning us that NO MAN is safe against MeToo.

  32. 32.

    eric

    @Leto: And EVERY woman watching will notice because that is what men do. (I talk over everyone, so i get a pass on the sexism, but not on the assholery)

  33. 33.

    Marcopolo

    A disaster for the GOP but a serious win for Coca Cola. Whoever lined up that product placement should get a raise /s

    Really thinking K doesn’t last out the day but I’ll never underestimate the awfulness of the Republican Party & it’s elected representatives.

  34. 34.

    schrodingers_cat

    I am only following through comments. But it is crystal clear that Rs don’t consider anyone other than white rich Christian men, people.
    Non-people according to Rs and interests groups according to MSM (old and white and male) lead by the esteemed NYT.
    1. Women
    2. Immigrants
    3. Muslims
    4. Refugees.
    5. Black people
    6. Puerto Ricans
    7. People who vote D.

  35. 35.

    Elizabelle

    Ah Ha. Grassley reiterates that the Committee was willing to go to California.

    LOL. Which means CBFord’s attorneys thought that THIS was a better option for her. Thank you, Chairman Grassley.

  36. 36.

    Immanentize

    @Elizabelle: You know what? I think I am completely safe from the “#metoo movement.” You know why? I haven’t assaulted or harassed any women. It seems so simple, but, maybe it’s not.

  37. 37.

    Elizabelle

    @jacy: Thank you for info re the therapist notes.

    Discussion of possibly entering polygraph results. Lindsey Graham running interference, asking about the date of the test.

  38. 38.

    Elizabelle

    @Immanentize: We’re coming for you, Immanetize!

    Yeah, right. Later, it will be fun to cruise through the reader comments. Bret Stephens also described BK’s actions as “antics.”

  40. 40.

    MCA1

    @Elizabelle: That’s amazing, given how reflexive a howler monkey Orange fanatic she is. Not that it matters much, I guess. No one gives a flying f what Megan McArdle says and none of her readers are going to switch their Senate vote if the GOP goes ahead with this after today in spite of all the reactions. But, still, if her bubble’s popped it might mean others have, as well.

    The most important thing going on is Chris Wallace, though. Why? Because we all know who’s sitting around watching Faux right now to glean what posture serves him best in response to today’s events. If the consensus on the TV Cabinet is that it’s time to cut bait, then it’s Kava Night Night.

  42. 42.

    D58826

    @Kay: Clicked on that link and it seems that a few other faux folks agree with Wallace. When the GOP has lost Faux news …………………………..

  44. 44.

    Elizabelle

    FTF NYTimes banner headline:

    ‘I Believed that Brett Was Going to Accidentally Kill Me’, Kavanaugh Accuser Tells Senators

    And yet, she is still alive. Draw your own conclusions, world.

  46. 46.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I’m trying to avoid this, but I couldn’t resist checking the live coverage in the car, and I got to hear the testimony about whether or not she’s really afraid to fly.

    and there were maps.

    This is actually far worse than I thought it would be.

  47. 47.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Betty Cracker: At this point, Mitchell is asking questions fed to her by the GOP senators on the committee and/or their staff. She’s trying to insinuate/establish that Dr. Blasey’s anxiety and post traumatic stress resulting from the attack and leading to now a lifetime of claustrophobia can’t be that bad. Therefore maybe this didn’t really occur.

  49. 49.

    jacy

    I don’t feel like Mitchell has a strategy. Unless she turns magically in Perry Mason at the last minute, I think this is an utter disaster for Republicans.

  50. 50.

    Aleta

    (Ms. Ramirez’s attorney) John Clune @CluneEsq
    From Debbie Ramirez: “Thinking of you today, Christine. They want us to feel alone and isolated but I’m there wrapping my arms around you and I hope you feel the people of this nation wrapping their arms around all of us. Holding you up in spirit.”

  51. 51.

    Leto

    @Elizabelle: He’s a lying fucker. He was going to send his staff. It wouldn’t have been the entire complement of senators. Such a tool. Shut the hell up Lindsay.

  52. 52.

    randy khan

    DC street scenes:

    I was just walking past the Department of Justice building, and overheard a guard talking to someone who looked like a staffer, saying: “She was totally credible. People were tearing up in the room.”

    Ten minutes ago, walking on 7th Street, I saw a bus from Concerned Women of America, swathed in red with a photo of Kavanaugh and the words “Women for Kavanaugh.” 30 seconds later, I passed a guy wearing an “I believe Christine Blasey Ford” button.

  53. 53.

    Elizabelle

    I love, love, love how the Democrats are not afraid to interact with CBFord. And they are respectful.

    Actually, Prosecutor/Questioner cuz she’s got Lady Parts and We Don’t Mitchell is being quite respectful and cordial as well. Kudos there.

  56. 56.

    TS (the original)

    And Dr Ford was asked why she didn’t contact the NYT – and she gave the answer – one media contact was enough

    I wonder if she knew how the NYT would treat her information and her confidence. She made a good choice.

  57. 57.

    jacy

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I think that’s because all the Republicans have left is that, yes, he did this, but it wasn’t that bad because she’s managed to have a functional life. That’s all they got left. I don’t know that gets you to 50 votes to confirm.

  59. 59.

    Kay

    @D58826:

    It’s just a fact. You can say she’s a strong witness but that isn’t it- she’s a strong person who happens to be a witness.

    Special K and his buddy fucked with the wrong person.

  60. 60.

    D58826

    According to Der Fuhrer he could shoot some one in Times Square and his base would not care. This just proves it applies to BK as well.

  61. 61.

    Elizabelle

    @jacy:

    I don’t feel like Mitchell has a strategy. Unless she turns magically in Perry Mason at the last minute, I think this is an utter disaster for Republicans.

    I wonder if Rebecca Mitchell realized that was going to be the case, going in. And especially once we all got the CBFord opening statement.

    And Mitchell’s goal, and the GOP Committee’s, may not actually be in synch.

  64. 64.

    yellowdog

    @jacy: You are naive if you think any of the GOP senators except Murkowski will pay any attention to this, and she has probably already made up her mind based on the Alaska Native ruling from Kavanaugh.

  68. 68.

    jacy

    I wonder if Mitchell is prepared for the Right-Wing attacks that are going to come her way because Republican mouth-breathers are going to feel she tanked this.

  69. 69.

    FelonyGovt

    I want to thank Adam for the threads, and those of you who are watching and updating. I feel slightly less nauseous than I did an hour ago.

  70. 70.

    schrodingers_cat

    R message to all citizens:
    If you are a powerful rich white connected male, you can get away with any crime, you are above the law.
    Non-people: Your very existence is a crime be happy that we let you exist.

  71. 71.

    TS (the original)

    @ddale8

    Mitchell resumes. She asks if Blasey Ford talked about her allegations with any Republican members of Congress. Blasey Ford says no, noting that her members of Congress are Democrats.

    She answers the questions so well. Why would she contact congress people other than those that represent her.

  72. 72.

    Bill Arnold

    @yellowdog:

    You are naive if you think any of the GOP senators except Murkowski will pay any attention to this, and she has probably already made up her mind based on the Alaska Native ruling from Kavanaugh.

    Many senators including Republican males will be making a point of discussing this testimony with their female staffers. They will be getting an earful.
    Those who don’t talk with their female staffers are essentially irredeemable.

  73. 73.

    jacy

    @yellowdog:

    I’m anything but naive. And I well know that even the stupidest rats will eventually leave the sinking ship.

    A dangerous decision seems impossible until suddenly it isn’t.

  74. 74.

    Elizabelle

    @yellowdog: I think they are all glued to this.

    And I hope to be pleasantly surprised. Not a lot of defections, but a few more than you are expecting. One can hope.

  76. 76.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jacy: Depends on the whip count McConnell has right now. If he’s got 48 yeses and a couple of maybes, then he’s hoping that provides enough cover to get to at least 50 and Pence breaks the tie.

  79. 79.

    Chris

    @AThornton:

    I can never really tell these things, as I’m so disposed to hate their guts from the outset that I never know if I’m seeing something that “normal” voters wouldn’t.

    Which is partly why I didn’t watch. I certainly hope it’s true, though, and also that it makes a difference.

  81. 81.

    MisterForkbeard

    Jesus H Christ I can’t follow this thing closely anymore. I have a personal experience here that just typifies every conservative reaction I’ve seen so far, and it’s long but I want to get into it.

    I read a facebook thread this morning from my sister in law, who is deeply concerned about Kavanaugh’s nomination and the fact that his multiple accusers are being reflexively disbelieved and not even looked into. She’s not even assuming he did it, though she’s clearly inclined in this direction. And then this doucheBro shows up.

    I want to give a little background on this guy. He’s an old college friend of my brother-in-law – he’s rich, decently old money but not “old” money. Co-founded a couple companies with Peter Thiel. Name drops important people ALL THE TIME by first name so you have to ask who they are. (“I was talking about the weather to Jay yesterday”… “I’m sorry, who’s Jay?”, “Oh! Jay Rockefeller. The Senator. We’re old friends.”) Super rich, acts like he’s sympathetic to the poor and middle class but never supports any policies that might actually help them, is friendly to gay people but always supports Republicans and their policies, saying he disagrees but “What can I do about it?”. Usually pretends he’s the only adult in the room looking at everything dispassionately and somehow ALWAYS lands on the Republican side of the debate without fail. He’s been accused of sexual assault (basically: being a mentor to a grad student and through slow abuse and ‘brainwashing’ basically guilting her into being in a relationship with her and then tossing her aside. He settled that one – I believe she dropped out of grad school, though I’m not sure). At least a few women I know who aren’t interested in his money say he’s basically a sociopath, where you don’t exist to him if he’s not trying to get something from you. And he’s an investor in my sister-in-law’s company.

    He popped into this thread talking about how everyone was just being emotional over this whole thing. For example, he was in another conversation where people were factually pointing out to a woman that the 3rd accuser was obviously lying and making the whole thing up over and over, and she wouldn’t accept their conclusions! And she started crying, which proves how non-logical and emotionally invested people are being! But since Kavanaugh hasn’t been formally charged and because his close friend Leonard Leo says Kavanaugh is a great guy and we need to take that seriously. He’d totally hire Kavanaugh as a corporate counsel! And it’s unamerican to deny him a seat on the Supreme Court because of uncertain charges from so long ago!

    My sister-in-law is gently pointing out again and again that Republicans are actively stopping a real investigation and tilting what investigation they DO to benefit Kavanaugh. He’s resolute that “Republicans are doing their jobs and it’s awful how Democrats are polticizing this whole thing.” He’s made a point repeatedly that we can’t trust these women because they wouldn’t say anything at the time and coming forward now is a clear indication of a hit job. Also “Two guys swore they did it instead, which is very interesting.”, which completely contradicts his entire argument but he can’t seem to acknowledge that.

    And here’s the kicker: My S-I-L clearly wants to tell him what she really thinks. But she can’t – doing so would directly harm her businees. And her husband’s business. And her client base, some of whom are rich fuckers who really like this guy. I can’t either – it would reflect badly on her and cause HER issues. And he’s completely oblivious to this point or doesn’t care, and no one can say anything because it WILL hurt the women and friends who disagree with him. It’s a microcosm of the entire fucking problem and illustrates every issue about power imbalance and rich white dudes not understanding their privilege and how women can’t even do things like disagree with them without consequence, let alone accuse him of rape.

    I’m sorry, I had to write this down somewhere. There’s enough detail in here to identify said rich douchebro. And probably my sister-in-law. I’d appreciate it if people didn’t do that.

  82. 82.

    TS (the original)

    @jacy: They are already starting to blame Mitchell if MAGA Maggie is to be believed

    @maggieNYT

    Almost every person close to Trump who had told me having a sex crimes prosecutor question Ford was good strategy is saying they think it was a mistake after the first portion of the hearing.

  83. 83.

    Citizen Alan

    @Vince:

    No, that was Megan. She thought we should train school children starting in first grade to rush their attackers so that it would give other children a chance to escape.

  85. 85.

    D58826

    @Bill Arnold: And, as I said on an earlier thread, they may be getting an earful from their female family members. Seems highly unlikely that not one male congress critter does not have a close female relative that has not been victimized.

  86. 86.

    Elizabelle

    Blumenthal reading a passage from a book by Lindsey Graham (whom he misidentified as Navy) on dealing with rape and sexual abuse vics.

    Brilliant!

  88. 88.

    Patrick II

    Mitchell has been setting little traps trying to trip Ms. Ford up with inconsistencies. That doesn’t work with an honest witness.

  90. 90.

    Adam L Silverman

  91. 91.

    jacy

    According to the Twitter, White House sources say Trump is furious that no one told him how credible Ford would be. Coming from two reports, that should be taken with the same amount of salt any background color should be taken. Doesn’t matter how many voted the Turtle has if Trump decided to throw Kavanaugh down the stairs.

    Me, I’m still hoping Kavanaugh has a meltdown under the withering gaze of Kamala Harris.

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @TS (the original): 1) She wouldn’t. 2) They wouldn’t talk to her anyway because she’s not one of their constituents. At best they’d refer her back to her own representative or senators.

  96. 96.

    PAM Dirac

    @jacy:

    Me, I’m still hoping Kavanaugh has a meltdown under the withering gaze of Kamala Harris.

    I don’t get the impression that ol’ Brett does well under pressure and he is going to be under enormous pressure even before his testimony starts.

  98. 98.

    oldgold

    Mitchell seems like a nice person, but her examination of Dr. Ford to this point is subpar, given the time constraints.

  99. 99.

    Elizabelle

    @PAM Dirac: I would love to be a fly on the wall watching ol’ Brett watch this.

    And watching Mrs. Brett. What is she going to say to her daughters? Believe your father, not this terrified, anxious, and courteous woman.

  101. 101.

    p.a.

    @Bill Arnold: Apologies to all the females present, but anyone still advancing the Rethug agenda at this point
    (staffers, volunteers, etc. etc.) is neither male nor female. They are Borg. Don’t think discussions with staff will matter. Family? Maybe…

  104. 104.

    Adam L Silverman

    From the very well sourced Gabriel Sherman:

    Hey, Jonathon Swan: take some fucking notes, this is how actual reporting is done!

  105. 105.

    Elizabelle

    Half hour recess for lunch.

    OT: what time is der Trump scheduled to meet with not to be fired Rosenstein?

  106. 106.

    eric

    @oldgold: But this is all she can do. I think her job was twofold: to get as many facts into the public record so the GOP could hammer her on inconsistencies from howler monkey investigations, and gently coax a mistake, if possible. This was never going to be a real cross exam because she has no real ammo other than already available public “inconsistencies” that dont amount to much

  107. 107.

    Chris

    @jacy:

    Oh my God, Trump throwing him down the stairs would be PERFECT. All the Republican senators who humiliated themselves to vouch for Kavanaugh end up with egg all over their face because it was all for nothing? That would be epic.

    Odin doesn’t love me that much.

  108. 108.

    Ian R

    @Adam L Silverman: You know how he could have gotten advance knowledge she would be credible? Perhaps he could have initiated some sort of investigation by a federal bureau of some sort.

  110. 110.

    jacy

    Grassley suddenly and unexpectedly bailing for lunch when he made a point to specifically ask her to go straight through so they could make a scheduled vote . I get the feeling they want to desperately try to regroup. I smell panic.

    appropos of nothing — I’m listening to the testimony and occasionally looking at it and every time I see Mitchell, the only thing I can think is she looks exactly like a lunch lady at my school in second grade. It’s literally distracting me so much that I can’t hear what she’s saying if I’m looking at her.

  112. 112.

    AThornton

    @Chris:

    Looking at it dispassionately, the GOP was already in trouble with a key electoral bloc: suburban white women, this display of male arrogance is going to flip some women to change their vote and some women who weren’t going to vote to vote against them. How many/much? Won’t know until after the election. What affect this will have? Again, won’t know until after the election.

  114. 114.

    Waldo

    @Elizabelle:

    And Mitchell’s goal, and the GOP Committee’s, may not actually be in synch.

    That’s how it’s looking.

    Think about Mitchell’s assignment here: She’s a prosecutor on the wrong side of a sex crime case that she’s had little time to delve into. So she’s carefully tugging random threads in hopes of finding one that unravels the whole case. If not, well, c’est la vie — she’s still got her day job.

  115. 115.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    : @MisterForkbeard:

    At least a few women I know who aren’t interested in his money say he’s basically a sociopath, where you don’t exist to him if he’s not trying to get something from you. And he’s an investor in my sister-in-law’s company.

    eh, bad scene, I’d stay away because your SIL will blame you when the inevitable happens with this a-hole if you get involved. The whole story sounds like an example of how people set themselves up to be victims..

  116. 116.

    Chyron HR

    So if Bort walks into the hearing room, screams “MAR-A-LAGO ACKBAR!” and shoots himself in the head, will the GOP wait until October to confirm the guy in the “I Stand With Brett” sweatshirt, or go ahead with the vote tomorrow?

  118. 118.

    MisterForkbeard

    Apologies for the giant comment post above, BTW. I had to write it somewhere and you guys are unfortunately the best forum I’ve got that can’t blow back on me.

    @Adam L Silverman: It’s hard to know when a witness will ‘seem credible’ when your own strategy is to say that she’s making the whole thing up, won’t investigate her claims properly and are generally just trying to slime her before getting her antagonistically interviewed by a prosecutor. Maybe an actual good-faith investigation would have revealed her credibility, but they can’t do that. >_<

    @Elizabelle: I missed this – what did the passage say (in summary)?

  119. 119.

    Kay

    How credible Ford “would seem”. They mean to say “is”.

    I knew they would make it about tactics rather than about what we’re watching, which is a very strong individual recounting what happened to her. It isn’t a “skill” what she’s doing. She’s able to draw on these reserves of strength because she has them. It’s how she got out of that room.

  121. 121.

    Calouste

    @jacy: People came back from Nazis extermination camps and managed to have functional lives. That doesn’t mean that the Nazis extermination camps “weren’t that bad”. ( Not directed at you of course)

  122. 122.

    Mnemosyne

    @AThornton:

    I’m not going to bash Wallace for not knowing what his daughters were dealing with in high school. I never told my parents that I was being harassed in class by a guy who sat behind me, even though it meant I barely passed the class.

    Yes, I suck at math because the asshole who sat behind me kept snapping my bra strap during algebra class and I was too embarrassed to tell the teacher I wanted to move away from him. That guy died in a drunk driving accident before graduation, so at least I never have to worry about running into him again.

  125. 125.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @TS (the original):

    they think it was a mistake

    I disagree. I think it was the best of a set of very bad options. The only thing that would not have made them look like they support rape is decisively voting down the nomination, which they cannot do because they’re Republicans. If they didn’t actively support rape and weren’t arrogant shits who demand their own way, they wouldn’t be Republicans.

  127. 127.

    Adri

    @eric: That is exactly what they are doing on twitter. Going after the fact she doesn’t remember the time/date, how she got to the house, how she got home. Those will be the things they go on and on about.

  128. 128.

    Mary G

    Well after waking up at least 5 times during the night I ended up sleeping through my alarm. I read the whole last thread and then turned it on. This is the fire of an ocean of dumpsters for the Republicans even after only watching a couple of minutes. Grassley whining about turning off the clock and barging in with questions and Lindsey Graham’s bitching about his book make them look just like what they are. I think Ms. Mitchell is pissed. Now the Democratic are making great points in the hall on break. CSPAN saying we have not heard from any of the Republicans is damning.

  131. 131.

    Elizabelle

    @MisterForkbeard: Was typing more than listening, but think it was kinda on how hard it is for vics to come forward, and the respect needed. Will hunt it down for both of us now.

  133. 133.

    oldgold

    I agree the time constraints and being limited to 5 minute increments makes Rachel Mitchelo’s job difficult. But, she knew this going in and should have adjusted her approach.

    As I have said many times before, lawyers must always pay attention to “time and timing.”

  134. 134.

    Ruviana

    @jacy: I got the feeling when they took that first break that they were trying to slow down the obvious building positive momentum.

  140. 140.

    Tokyokie

    @D58826:

    According to Der Fuhrer he could shoot some one in Times Square and his base would not care. This just proves it applies to BK as well.

    I wouldn’t care provided BK was the one he shot.

  141. 141.

    catclub

    @Bill Arnold:

    Many senators including Republican males will be making a point of discussing this testimony with their female staffers.

    Mississippi’s female senator – appointed to fill out Thad Cochran’s seat until a special election – gave a speech last night supporting Kavanaugh.

  142. 142.

    Adam L Silverman

    @oldgold: Also, once she finished the standard intake questions she started with, everything she’s been asking have been pushed to her by the GOP senators on the committee. The questions are out of place and jarring coming from her, imagine how much worse they would have been and how much more jarring coming from Lee or Cruz or Hatch or Graham?

  143. 143.

    eric

    @Adri: so far, and i say so far, Mitchell has done an admirably professional job of avoiding grandstanding to breakdown Dr. Ford or make it confrontational. I wonder if she gets a lunch time message to editorialize and attack more in her questioning when not getting a “perfect” answer.

  146. 146.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: This is going to sound really weird. But my S-I-L is about as type-A/strong/independent a person as I can imagine. If she witnessed him do anything she’d call him out on it. If he did anything to HER, she’d have it recorded with evidence and the accusation into the cops 10 minutes after it happened. I trust her to keep herself safe and the people around her, and she knows we’ve got her back if she ever wants to say anything to anyone.

    I don’t inject myself into actions between my SIL and this guy. It wouldn’t end well for anyone. My SIL’s business is philanthropic and if I jeopardized its funding she’d be pretty angry at me for good reason. I do however love my SIL and think she’s pretty awesome. She’d appreciate some private backup, but not anything in writing and not anything public, because… doucheBro has All The Lawyers and in any dispute she wouldn’t want written evidence.

    I feel vaguely dirty writing all that. Associating with these fuckers at all just makes you complicit somehow.

  149. 149.

    D58826

    @different-church-lady: If the blue wave in Nov. doesn’t turn into a blue tidal wave then a big chunk (not counting the 36% Trump base) of the American public is saying they are ok with this kind of behavior.

  150. 150.

    TS (the original)

    @Adam L Silverman: Which well defeats the purpose of the question asked by Mitchell. This lady is going to need some support when she is blamed for Kavanaugh not being confirmed. GOP men like to blame women for their failings.

  152. 152.

    Barbara

    @Elizabelle: Regarding Mitchell’s strategy: In any other setting, the first thing she would do is interview anyone who even might have been there or heard about it. In this setting, she is limited to questioning a single person, the victim, with very little first hand knowledge from the other kinds of sources she would have spoken to — and to boot, she is doing so in a very public setting with almost no time to prepare. That means her “cross” is limited to picking at obvious but relatively insignificant items that have percolated into the public sphere, like fear of flying, or the circumstances of taking a polygraph.

  153. 153.

    catclub

    @Adam L Silverman: another ‘win’ for the right wing news bubble. I can only hope that Trump still thinks there will be a red wave and not to worry his voters too much about the election.

  155. 155.

    Elizabelle

    @eric: I hope that Rebecca Mitchell decides that her professional reputation counts for more than a bunch of elite men (and a few women) who want to put an alleged assaulter on the Supreme Court.

    She has interviewed hundreds of traumatized individuals. I suspect she recognizes truthful testimony when she sees it, even if not on every occasion.

  157. 157.

    Leto

    Dr Ford saying, “I thought we were going straight through?” (Still a few mins behind) They’re panicked. Good. She’s such a strong woman.

  160. 160.

    James E Powell

    @AThornton:

    This is an absolute disaster for the GOP. Ford is entirely creditable. The GOP Senators are coming across as sneering, contemptuous, and vile.

    But does it have any impact on their votes to confirm Kavanaugh?

  161. 161.

    Paula

    I think Mitchell is trying to get info to paint Ford as doing all this as a political exercise – why did she say she didn’t want to fly and then fly? What media did she contact? Why did she get a lawyer? Etc. Ford’s responses are so perfect – “that’s a great question!” Mitchell ends up smiling and laughing with her.

    Going back and forth keeps Mitchell from being able to build up to anything – if there was anything to build to – which there isn’t.

  162. 162.

    Mnemosyne

    @MisterForkbeard:

    I’m going to say it again: the reason the named accusers are from Kavanaugh’s high school and college days is because his more recent victims are all conservative women who know that Kavanaugh and his buddies would ruin their lives if they dared to complain. I would bet you that Kavanaugh has a Weinstein-like reputation behind the scenes, especially when he drinks, but the victims are afraid to talk about it.

  166. 166.

    different-church-lady

    @AThornton:

    The GOP Senators are coming across as sneering, contemptuous, and vile.

    You say that like it’s a bad thing. (for them)

  169. 169.

    Barbara

    @Elizabelle: I would add that Mitchell is not a defense attorney who has mastered the art (if there is such a thing) of cross-examining a victim of sexual assault, to bring out inconsistencies or lapses in her account without coming across as a callous jerk. It’s not easy for anyone and it’s not what she does or has ever done throughout her career. Do these Senators not really understand that it’s a completely different kind of exercise to cross-examine a victim than a perpetrator, where you can be as mean and direct as you want to be?

  171. 171.

    Amir Khalid

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Gabriel Sherman
    ✔
    @gabrielsherman

    Trump telling people he’s furious that WH aides didn’t have advance knowledge of how credible Ford would seem, per 2nd source
    12:31 AM – Sep 28, 2018

    I guess it never occurred to the President or his staff that Dr Ford might just be telling the plain truth.

  172. 172.

    trollhattan

    @Elizabelle:
    Lunch break, what is this, cricket?

    Because we can keep our minds on two things at once, BBC reports this.

    The future of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was the other hot topic on Washington’s agenda today, as a meeting was expected between him and President Trump.

    No longer. The White House says it has postponed the meeting, saying it did not want to “interfere” with the hearing happening at the Senate, according to the Associated Press..

    How many backpedals does it take before you’re going forward again?

  173. 173.

    HeleninEire

    @Betty Cracker: Yeah. And apparently Fox is focusing on that to say she’s a liar. Of course they are because it’s all they have. Did they tell their viewers that she has two front doors to her house because she needs a second escape route? I’m gonna go with NO.

  176. 176.

    AThornton

    @James E Powell:

    I would say yes since they have to run for re-election sooner or later and knowingly voting a rapist to the Supreme Court is the sort of thing people remember.

    :-)

  177. 177.

    trollhattan

    @Paula:
    A jackal yesterday said that his screenplay would have Ford winning over the hired gun halfway through the questioning. Maybe that’s actually happening.

  178. 178.

    scav

    @catclub: Voting, Legislating or Representing (etc) while Republican are apparently the indulgences of the Evangelical Churches: All sins are washed away in the blood of the GOP. One is in a permanent state of eternal forgiveness for any and all actions. Amen. Blessed be the name of the party-hardy.

  179. 179.

    Mnemosyne

    @Adri:

    Going after the fact she doesn’t remember the time/date, how she got to the house, how she got home.

    As you probably already know, those are exactly the details that a trauma victim rarely remembers. Hell, I realized recently that I kept telling people the wrong date of my knee injury even though I had the medical records since I went to urgent care the day I did it.

  180. 180.

    different-church-lady

    @Amir Khalid:

    Trump telling people he’s furious that WH aides didn’t have advance knowledge of how credible Ford would seem, per 2nd source

    DUDE, YOU SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ONLY TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR!

  181. 181.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mary G: It would not surprise me if they either get rid of Mitchell for Kavanaugh’s hearing even if they keep her for the remainder of Dr. Blasey’s.

  182. 182.

    Bill Arnold

    @oldgold:

    I agree the time constraints and being limited to 5 minute increments makes Rachel Mitchelo’s job difficult. But, she knew this going in and should have adjusted her approach.
    I’m quite amused (in a bad-for-the-GOP way :) that the Dr is being meticulous about reviewing her memories and written material for inaccuracies, and making it clear that that is her professional habit That meticulousness uses time. And has the side effect of reducing the chances of misstatements that the RightWingNutjobs can successfully exploit.

  183. 183.

    Kay

    @Amir Khalid:

    Kavanaugh is somewhere making neat columns of notes on a legal pad, because they still don’t get it. It’s not a skill. He can’t cram and learn it. He doesn’t have what she has.

  186. 186.

    Leto

    @jacy: she’s a former Holton Arms student. Just about the entire HA alumni, young and old, have come out in support of Dr Ford. The fact she’s been so silent won’t sit well at the reunions.

  189. 189.

    trollhattan

    @Amir Khalid:
    The GOP’s “big tent” is in reality their bubble. Even Karl Rove, as responsible as any individual for constructing the bubble, falls under its spell and the rest of the lot can’t even pair up their socks so the bubble provides welcome respite from all that hard “thinkin’.”

    “If we say it, it’s true.”

  191. 191.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    One Trump ally just joked Mitchell must be working for the Democrats she’s been that bad.

    Steve Schmidt @ SteveSchmidtSES
    Every GOP campaign strategist and Hill staffer wishes they had the button to open the trap door under Rachel Mitchell’s chair. What a total and complete Political disaster for Republicans.

    I’m neither a lawyer nor a GOP political operative, but it looks to me like she’s a disaster

  192. 192.

    Cacti

    @Elizabelle:

    Actually, Prosecutor/Questioner cuz she’s got Lady Parts and We Don’t Mitchell is being quite respectful and cordial as well. Kudos there.

    Mitchell worked for years under the fabulously corrupt, and now disgraced and disbarred former Maricopa County Attorney, Andy Thomas.

    Don’t be fooled. She’s as big a partisan hack as any of the Senate patriarchy.

  196. 196.

    oldgold

    To this point, Dr. Ford has been a spectacular witness.

    Given the circumstances, her testimony has been amazing.

  199. 199.

    Leto

    @Amir Khalid: Why would it? Everyone in Trumpov’s circle lies. They all lie. When everyone you associate with lies, you expect everyone else to lie. When they don’t, you get reactions like his.

    @Kay: With a Sharpie, just like his new bestie, Trumpov! /gag

  201. 201.

    Aleta

    What kind of man puts his daughters, wife, parents through this if he doesn’t have to. For him it’s about surviving long enough to reach the SC; for them, possible effects on their survival going forward (like grades, fear of any publicity, conflict avoidance, maybe effect of his anger on their mental health).

    “The record of my life, from my days in grade school through the present day, shows that I have always promoted the equality and dignity of women.” More like promoting himself over women even in his family that he thinks he has the right to use.

  202. 202.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    and on MSNBC audio, Lindsey Graham continues his rolling nervous breakdown

    there are cameras

  204. 204.

    different-church-lady

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: She was dealt a hand that is nothing but a deuce, three bubble-gum wrappers, and a handout for the local evangelical church, so I’d say she’s playing it as well as she can.

  205. 205.

    Mnemosyne

    @Amir Khalid:

    I guess it never occurred to the President or his staff that Dr Ford might just be telling the plain truth.

    Not even for one second. Because ginning up a last-second fake character assassination is exactly what THEY would do in this situation, so they assumed that was what the Democrats did.

  207. 207.

    Elizabelle

    @Aleta: Kavanaugh could lose his day job on the DC Court of Appeals.

    Where, as you know, his boss is …. Merrick Garland.

  208. 208.

    randal m sexton

    This hearing is incredible. Ford is credible in a way beyond just about anything I have ever seen. If Kav is not watching this, he will be destroyed on the stand. If he is watching it he will show up on the stand in a state of shock and panic.

  209. 209.

    chopper

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    in spite of being a partisan hack, i guess she’s smart enough to recognize a no-win situation early on. apparently she doesn’t feel like falling on her sword in a vainglorious attempt to roll over a witness who won’t let it happen.

  210. 210.

    Groucho48

    I can understand the need for a second thread, but, I thinking we had a solid shot at a double TBogg.

    I think the questioner is doing about as well as she can with a lousy hand. She’s facing a credible, authentic victim who is articulate and who is clearly trying to be as honest as possible.

    So, she’s going over the minutiae Republicans gave her of possible inconsistencies, hoping one of them might lead somewhere. But, they aren’t, and, she realizes that and is just going through the motions. She’s got to bet her hand, hoping to hit an inside straight, while being pretty sure Ford has a full house.

  213. 213.

    MCA1

    @eric: I actually have half a mind to think that the GOP’s taking a flexible approach to this, and have objectives that can be accomplished regardless of how Mitchell does. They brought her in because they (correctly) perceived that questioning Ford themselves was horror show optics. Then they planned to just play it by ear based on what they heard.

    If Mitchell could, without being too badass, coax some inconsistencies or make Ford seem not credible, that would give them the cover they need to move forward. If not, they’ve now produced the seed of reasonable doubt that Flake or Corker or whomever else in the caucus is wavering but doesn’t have the stones to just stand up for decency and demand better for our highest judicial honor need to get them over the hump and become a solid “no.” Which would give them all the out they need here. They want Kavanaugh on the Court but none of them want to have to vote “yes” for him if Ford comes off as legit, because it’s electoral poison. So if this hearing can provide a strong enough reed to garner two more Repub. “no” votes, that’s OK, too.

    Or third option: it goes well enough for Ford that Drumpf realizes the danger to himself and yanks the nom, so they get off scot free.

    Or they could just be totally inept.

  214. 214.

    Adam L Silverman

    @TS (the original): This is all being done for a very small audience: the President to keep him from pulling the nomination or tweeting something that blows everything up and the few holdout Republican senators in the hope that it can move them into voting yes. This isn’t being done for the rest of America.

  216. 216.

    lgerard

    @Elizabelle:

    LATimes says Trump was watching Ford testimony while flying back to DC on AF 1.

    I’ll bet a few of his fellow passengers thought about grabbing a chute and bailing out

  217. 217.

    Mary G

    And CSPAN goes to the viewers’ call line and the first one is a 65-year-old Republican woman who was assaulted at the same age by three guys, saved from being raped by a motorist who came along, they all went to jail and Dr. Ford is lying because she shouldn’t still be crying about getting groped 37 years ago…Click.

  219. 219.

    Barbara

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: What did they think she was going to be able to do? Start shouting at her that of course no one believes her and how dare she come forward with such a ridiculous story? That she could get away with doing that because she is a woman? Mitchell is not the failure here, the failure here is for this committee to have done even a cursory independent (as in, FBI) examination of the facts before going to “trial.” The first thing you learn in trial practice is not to ask on the record questions if you don’t know the answer. Guess what — if you don’t investigate the facts every question you ask is going to be one where you don’t know the answer. They deserve this.

  221. 221.

    Immanentize

    @Leto: I wondered about that too. Are they just proving that hey have the power and she doesn’T? or did hatch need his nap?

  224. 224.

    James E Powell

    @Elizabelle:

    I hope that Rebecca Mitchell decides that her professional reputation counts for more than a bunch of elite men (and a few women) who want to put an alleged assaulter on the Supreme Court.

    She knew what the assignment was before she took it. It had nothing to do with truth, or right, or good.

  225. 225.

    Neldob

    This is grotesque. The whooo boy family values monsters masks are falling. They are all so obviously corrupt. Is this the revolution televised?

  226. 226.

    SFAW

    @Immanentize:

    No one ever comes for me. I feel like I am completely left out of being a victim of SJWs.

    Well, amigo, that’s the consequences for being an ethical guy.

    I don’t know if this will help or hurt, but: it probably also means that no one from the Maladministration will approach you, looking to hire you.

  228. 228.

    oatler.

    For some strange reason a lot of the comments on Youtube’s live feed are in cyrillic or seem to come from incels.

  230. 230.

    artem1s

    @NotMax:

    More than decent chance a California meeting would not have been televised.

    Killary also insisted her Benghazi testimony be public so the GOP wingnuts couldn’t truncate her comments. And of course she probably knew how badly Gowdy was going to flopsweat. They all thing they are such hot shots. Too much time in interviews with Faux News getting softball questions.

  231. 231.

    Elizabelle

    Seeing what has been going on on this blog, and in real life the past week: do not discount that a lot of Republican men might be getting woke by stories of groping and worse endured by their wives and loved ones, years ago, not pursued at time. Including politicians, hearing stories from their staff, family, and other associates.

    Senator Blumenthal was not wrong about this being a “teaching” moment.

    We are too cynical here sometimes. And yes, there are a lot of horribly deplorable people out there. Too many. But there are also some people who can, eventually, wake up a bit, even if it’s surfacing from 300 feet underwater.

    This is going terribly for the Republicans. I do not see how they get to 50 votes among their members. I really do not.

  232. 232.

    Tenar Arha

    @different-church-lady: i know this was rhetorical, but it made me realize I’m still looking for audio for this one below that wouldn’t require me to listen to Grassley for longer than a few minutes, from earlier today:

    Grassley: “You got what you wanted, and I think you’d be satisfied.”
    I ACTUALLY GASPED

    And so I came up with two reasons for me:
    1. bc if I do believe that he would say something so tone deaf, I need something to check my assumptions against.

    2. bc sometimes video/audio provides the proof for others that yes, indeed this person is truly awful, where a written quote or witness’ statement never could

  233. 233.

    Mnemosyne

    @Mary G:

    I was just thinking this morning that a fair number of conservative women who are angry at Dr. Blasey Ford are women who were themselves victims of assault but who have compartmentalized or minimized it, and now they’re PISSED that they’re having flashbacks, which are all the Democrats’ fault for dragging up the dead past.

    Of course, the dead past isn’t dead. It’s not even past. So they’re blaming the wrong person for their pain.

  235. 235.

    Elizabelle

    C-Span’s gone back to the hearing room. People filtering in.

    Filled their deadtime with women calling in about their sexual assaults endured, and CB Ford’s opening statement.

  239. 239.

    Leto

    @Immanentize: It’s possible they (their staff) were receiving messages that Trumpov is displeased so they need to come up with a new line of attack. Break, get their shit together, try again with what time they have. Of course after establishing what a strong, credible, courageous woman she is, it would come off as even more vile/toxic/partisan than it even is.

    But Hatch was looking tired and Cruz did need to recharge in his coffin. Too much sunlight, you know?

  240. 240.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Emma Dumain @ Emma_Dumain
    A woman just told LindseyGrahamSC she was raped. He said, as he headed into an elevator, “I’m sorry. Tell the cops.”

    everything trump touches dies

  241. 241.

    Immanentize

    @different-church-lady: I agree that Mitchell is doing the best she can with what she’s got. I’ll even go further — she is NOT making mistakes that a more political and aggressive (male or female) prosecutor would make — particularly, she is not using the incredulous/sarcastic voice prosecutors often use when questioning adverse witnesses. I thought she might. OK, maybe I hoped she would because that would have been 10 times worse for the Republicans than this blandarama.

  242. 242.

    BretH

    One “tell” that they are on a fishing expedition is that whenever Ford’s lawyer objects to a question with a point about client-attorney privilege, instead of going back to the prosecutor to rephrase the question they ask Ford to answer as best as she can. So they don’t have really specific things they are building questions towards and will take whatever answers are given.

  243. 243.

    Mary G

    @Mnemosyne: Well, they agreed to certain rules of society, and now they see it changing and feel angry it didn’t change for them, also Stockholm Syndrome.

  246. 246.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: Alas. Although would guess he parcels out cases, and might end up nominally in charge of deciding on a further investigation.

    I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall in the Supreme Court offices. They may not be thrilled about the chance (now more remote, please) of BK joining their august ranks.

    Except Gorsuch. And Thomas. “Great. Now there’s someone even worse. Look over there!”

  251. 251.

    Mary G

    @Elizabelle: If by some miracle Kavanaugh does still get confirmed, he’ll probably wish that he hadn’t when RBG, Sotomayor, and Kagan finish with him.

  252. 252.

    Mnemosyne

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I would bet that Chua assumes that Kavanaugh would never dare lay a finger on HER daughter, because she knows him. But I would also guess that there a quite a few conservative parents who made that same bet and lost, and their daughters are too embarrassed to tell them.

    That’s why I keep thinking about that 5th accusation with an anonymous victim and anonymous witnesses, all of whom are conservatives who are terrified of losing their jobs. Conservatives know what Kavanaugh is like, and they’re sacrificing their young women for continued power. ?

  254. 254.

    Leto

    @Elizabelle: They need to do more than just be “woke”. They need to act. Support women who come forward. Stop shaming them. Stop voting for these horrible fucking assholes to represent you. Most of them might go, “I’m sorry that happened to her”, then go pull the R lever in Nov. I’ll remain cynical until they consistently prove otherwise. Words without deeds is worthless.

  256. 256.

    Tenar Arha

    @Leto: Until someone starts a fund against his future opponent, it may make you feel better to do what I did. I have a reminder set in my calendar for New Year’s Day 2020 to donate to his general election opponent.

  258. 258.

    Immanentize

    @Leto:

    it would come off as even more vile/toxic/partisan than it even is.

    Oh, I trust the Republican Senators can match their vile sexist behavior to any high standard of meanness. It wont just look toxic, it will be. I mean, what is beyond toxic? I guess radioactive unto death?

  263. 263.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Thanks! I checked it out. I already have a tripod. Their suggestions exceed my current budget. I don’t want to spend more than $ 500 right now. I need good audio, so need an external mic hookup, which my current camera does not have and an ability to record for up to 40 min.

  264. 264.

    trollhattan

    @Mary G:
    We know damn well he’s already asked whether in addition to the hoops court there’s a SCOTUS Bar and when, exactly is happy hour?

  266. 266.

    TenguPhule

    @Elizabelle:

    I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall in the Supreme Court offices. They may not be thrilled about the chance (now more remote, please) of BK joining their august ranks.

    Except Gorsuch. And Thomas. “Great. Now there’s someone even worse. Look over there!”

    Kav has been pimping for John Roberts. If the reports about Tiger Mom are to be believed. And they are believable.

  267. 267.

    TenguPhule

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Not just her daughter, she was funneling pretty model like interns to Kavanaugh.

    And he in turn was reportedly funneling them to John Roberts after he was done with them.

    It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

  268. 268.

    NotMax

    Certainly sounds as if today will once and for all answer the question of just how far a bus can travel once relieved of its wheels.

  274. 274.

    Barbara

    Ezra Klein tweet: DO THEY THINK SHE DID THIS TO GET A FREE POLYGRAPH TEST? (Line of questioning about who paid for the polygraph test.)

  280. 280.

    Villago Delenda Est

    I am more certain than ever before that the GOP needs to go the way of the NSDAP and CPSU.

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