Judge Brett Kavanaugh put the Senate Judiciary Committee on notice today that he has not yet begun to fight:
Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein: When I testified in front of the Senate three weeks ago, I explained my belief that fair process is foundational to justice and to our democracy.
At that time, I sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than 31 hours and answered questions under oath. I then answered more questions at a confidential session. The following week, I responded to more than 1,200 written questions, more than have been submitted to all previous Supreme Court nominees combined.
Only after that exhaustive process was complete did I learn, through the news media, about a 36year-old allegation from high school that had been asserted months earlier and withheld from me throughout the hearing process. First it was an anonymous allegation that I categorically and unequivocally denied. Soon after the accuser was identified, I repeated my denial on the record and made clear that I wished to appear before the Committee. I then repeated my denial to Committee investigators—under criminal penalties for false statements. All of the witnesses identified by Dr. Ford as being present at the party she describes are on the record to the Committee saying they have no recollection of any such party happening. I asked to testify before the Committee again under oath as soon as possible, so that both Dr. Ford and I could both be heard. I thank Chairman Grassley for scheduling that hearing for Thursday.
Last night, another false and uncorroborated accusation from 35 years ago was published. Once again, those alleged to have been witnesses to the event deny it ever happened. There is now a frenzy to come up with something—anything—that will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring.
These are smears, pure and simple. And they debase our public discourse. But they are also a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country. Such grotesque and obvious character assassination—if allowed to succeed—will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from service.
As I told the Committee during my hearing, a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure. That is the kind of judge I will always be. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last minute character assassination will not succeed.
I have devoted my career to serving the public and the cause of justice, and particularly to promoting the equality and dignity of women. Women from every phase of my life have come forward to attest to my character. I am grateful to them. I owe it to them, and to my family, to defend my integrity and my name. I look forward to answering questions from the Senate on Thursday.
Sincerely,
Brett M. Kavanaugh
With a name like Kavanaugh I assumed that he would be a fighter, and I am glad that is the case. To the smear merchants of the Democrat party destroying a man’s reputation is part and parcel of politics. To a family man like Kavanaugh his good name is a pearl beyond price for his wife and kids. He understands that, and his adversaries do not understand, yet, how hard a good man will fight for his family.
Update: Kavanaugh is going to be interviewed on Fox during the 6:00 PM (CST) hour tonight. Good. He clearly understands that this has become a purely political fight.
A majority of the women in the company for which I work believe the accusers and not the SCOTUS nominee. The more the college degrees next to their names, the more they are left wing Democrats. The rare woman who served in the military or who has actual commercial nuke experience will question this whole thing, but not the Academia narcissists. The more educated they are, the more gullible they are to believe fabricated accusations against a Republican and disbelieve proven allegations against a Democrat.
The Crucible should be a warning, not a guide.
But will Collins, Corker, Flake and Murkowski still fight?
The Crucible IS their guide. This is what an otherwise super-intelligent and knowledgeable nuclear engineer who is a progressive twittered:
“Presumption of innocence is a legal concept associated with need for state to avoid locking guiltless people in jail. Candidates for positions of trust and responsibility often screened out based on a hint or potential compromising taint. Ex: officer selection board.”
Needless to say, this person is by self-admission a liberal feminist (how one can be male and a liberal feminist is truly unknown).
Folks, these people have been done educated into imbecility.
Mr. Kavanaugh is a Son of Mary Immaculate.
He has the whole Celestial Court praying, encouraging and protecting him from those who wish to do him harm. Now he has the Church Militant backing him up as well. Pray your rosaries gentleman. Let’s help out where we can right now. St. Joseph, protect the unborn and those who are at their service.
I think they will all vote to confirm. Collins, Corker and Flake are anti-Trump but so long as Ford is given an opportunity to appear I think they will vote to confirm. Murkowski is the only iffy one I think. With Pence the Republicans can lose one, although I expect that Murkowski will ultimately be on board. She had a near death political experience in 2010 when she lost the Republican primary and ran and won on a write in ticket. I doubt if she wants to go through that again in 2022.
My impression has been that the hidden impediments have been Flake and Collins, not Murkowski and Corker. Both Flake and Collins have been striking attitudes in recent days. Collins professes to be ‘appalled’ at an unremarkable comment by the President and Flake is ‘appalled’ that Donald Trump Jr would make a joke about this most absurd business. I’m wondering how many LDS members have their sense of humor surgically excises ‘ere they go on their missionary tours.
My guess would be that Grassley is having trouble setting a drop dead date for Blasey and her lawyers because of impeding Republicans. It’s possible that the others are threatening to vote no on the floor if she doesn’t testify, but cannot help but notice that Flake’s the only one of the four of them who is on the Judiciary committee. He says he is not, contrary to rumor, voting ‘present’.
I just saw a video on YouTube where Mitch McConnell denounced the smear campaign against Kavanaugh.
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“But will Collins, Corker, Flake and Murkowski still fight?” – Dale Price
Well, like it or not, dragged kicking and screaming (and clutching the curtains from the imperial palace), they will be forced to. Judge Kavanaugh, bless his heart, is a fighter like John Paul Jones, and they are going to look like the useless court eunuchs in their fine silk kimonos, fluttering their ornate fans (Hi, there Jeff Flake and Grassley, you are hardly wrapping yourself in glory these days), if they do not do so. Even then, they will have to present fans and throw them. Kavanaugh has compelled them to man up.
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And the dear Judge writes one helluva letter. Confirm ’em, you fops!
And as for weathervane Jeff Flake, whom I voted for when he was still an Arizona resident, and he clothed himself to the voters for many years as a long-time conservative patriot, what a empty shell of a man. We all should have known: his years as an executive director at the now-completely liberal Goldwater Institute should have tipped us off that he was a great poser with zero content for great leadership.
Even Orrin Hatch, the senior LDS US politician, long-time Senate Judiciary senior senator, and outgoing Utah senator has stated he is appalled at the character-assassination directed at Kavanaugh. That should be a cue to the empty-shell Flake as to what he should do.
Hopefully he is paying attention.
Way back when, I mentioned to my sister that the GOP needed some, well, less than nice people fighting for us. Kinda like the Dems have fighting for “their guys.” The Dems fight to win. The GOP needs to start.
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I think that may have been why Trump was elected. He isn’t nice. We definitely need more “not nice” people. Brett K seems to be of that type.
“I think that may have been why Trump was elected.”
I held my nose when I voted for the man. I still don’t like some of his extremes but he does fight. The example of the Dems in the Kavanaugh nomination raise one question in my mind. Many a Republican has critiqued Trump’s approach. Are they now noting how mild it is compared to the Dem’s approach with Kavanaugh?
I don’t want people who fight dirty. I want people who see dirty coming and know how to counter it. I also want people with a spine. Other than Abe Fortas (nominated for Chief Justice, he stank so much that he elected to resign as an associate justice rather than face impeachment proceedings), Hugo Black (a member of Congress whose time on the bench had been limited to two years as a JP), and Louis Brandeis (who had a history as a legal-political crusader and no history as a judge), every aspirant nominated by a Democratic President between 1912 and 2009 received the assent of a majority of the Republican caucus). Only the odoriferous Fortas and (in a knock on effect) the man LBJ wanted to fill his seat as an associate justice were actually rejected. (NB, Fortas was confirmed as an associate justice in 1965 w/o opposition; the ethical issues surfaced later). Six Republican nominees to the Court were withdrawn or rejected in that time, three others were approved but put through confirmation mangles, and two others not mangled but rejected by most of the Democratic caucus.
Re: Phillip’s mention of the prayers of the Church Triumphant (sorta)…
…I’ve been wondering if this suffering is meant to give Judge K. a permanent distaste, or even loathing, for leftists; which he may have lacked..
Looking at some of his history, (Georgetown Prep, Yale), he’s been exposed to plenty of modernism.
Could pay off in years to come, (like many hardships).
GREGB, Thanks for 12+ minute video. Heard a sound bite only on radio.
Senate Majority Leader McConnell laid out the timeline of the Democrats’ smear campaign succinctly. My estimation of him has risen.
Good for Kavanaugh.
Couple of predictions: Ford won’t testify. Ramirez and soon to be released shocker will take traction away from the progs as it is becoming increasingly obvious these are all political hit jobs. Kavanaugh will barely be confirmed and I hope he spends his entire career twisting a knife into the side of the democrat party. Both bases will be energized and the republicans will maintain the Senate.
Trump runs off at the mouth and tweets up a storm, but I don’t belief he fights dirty like the Democrats do. The Republicans should make this a campaign issue. The Dems are betting that this could be a winning issue for them in the midterms. The Reps can turn the tables on them if they really try. Will they?
A cultural conservative, to say nothing of a Christian, should not fight dirty. They should not fight STUPID either, though. The two main problems of those who are pro-life and pro-family and who hope to accomplish something through politics has been (1) false friends and (2) a failure to play hardball strategically, with the long game in mind. We are charged with being innocent as doves but as cunning as serpents; too often we are as cunning as doves and as innocent as serpents — especially when we believe that “all we need is to win this election” and America will look like a Norman Rockwell painting.