So Who Do You Trust? Part 2

On Thursday, I opened a post with this.

 

“I believed he was going to rape me. I believed Brett was going to accidentally kill me."

 

--Christine Blasey Ford

 

 “I have never done this to her or to anyone. That is not who I am, and not who I was. You may defeat me in the final vote. But you won’t make me quit."

 

--Brett Kavanaugh

 

 Then I asked the question: So who do you trust?

 

The question assumes a conflict  of  Brett Kavanaugh versus Christine Blasey Ford.   

 

Dr. Ford had made for a compelling and credible witness in her testimony to the Senate.  His protestation of his innocence aside, Kavanaugh  was facing a possibly insurmountable odds in this conflict with his accuser.

 

So Brett Kavanaugh changed the combatants.  

 

As Thursday wore on into evening, the conflict was changed to Brett Kavanaugh versus the Democratic Party. 

 

"This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election. Fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record. Revenge on behalf of the Clintons. And millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups."


If you were playing Trump Bingo at home, there was a lot from the diatribe. And it wasn't even Trump talking. But Trump and his devoted base were certainly listening and Kavanaugh knew that.


Also listening were to Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee and after having to sit squirming unconformtably restrained during Dr. Ford's presentation, they were finally let loose off the chain to go on the attack.  

 

Sen. Lindsay Graham leapt into the fray, his facing turning red, veins throbbing with rage, literally screaming  at the Democrats, ““This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics. And if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you’ve done to this guy. What you want to do is destroy this guy's life. To hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020. ... Boy, y'all want power. God, I hope you never get it!"


Notice the use of the phrase "this guy". Not "Judge Kavanaugh" but "this guy", like he's just some kind of regular dude who's applying for a stock boy job at Home Depot or something.



Wait! Holding open a seat on the Supreme Court in hopes of winning the next Presidential election?


That sounds…  familiar.  


Sen. Graham is right. Doing such a thing is a despicable act and surely not something the Republican party would ever do, right?

 

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Nah, that would be wrong and they wouldn't do something like that.

Anyway…. 

 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C saw this and thought this looked like fun, accusing Democrats of making a  mockery of the Senate's constitutional role to provide "advice and consent" on Supreme Court nominations.

 

"It's not advise and consent; it's search and destroy."

 

It was such a good line, Li’l Donnie Trump stole it.  

 

"Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him.  His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!"

 

Speaking of “consent”, what about Dr. Ford’s testimony that Kavanaugh tried to have sex with her without her consent? 

 

Does it matter?  Kavanaugh vs. Ford probably never stood a chance.

 

Kavanaugh vs. the Democratic Party. Now that is a whole other thing. 

 

Kavanaugh framed the debate in purely partisan terms and issued a battle cry to the Republican senators. Angrily, those senators roared back in answer, old white men decrying the fate of another white man. 


And as the Senate Judiciary Committee votes to move Kavanaugh’s nomination to the floor of the Senate for a confirmation vote, we can see the strategy is working.