During a debate, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she approves of reopening the sexual assault investigation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh if the Democrats win the Senate. From The Washington Post:
“Oh, I’d be in favor of opening up the allegations. Absolutely,” Feinstein said.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation proceedings were roiled by allegations of decades-old misconduct from three women, including Christine Blasey Ford, who testified to the Judiciary Committee that a drunken Kavanaugh assaulted her while both were in high school. Kavanaugh vigorously denied all allegations.
Feinstein’s opponent Kevin de Léon agreed with her and supported reopening the investigation. While de Léon “did not criticize Feinstein during the debate over her handling of Kavanaugh’s confirmation process,” he was “sharply critical during confirmation hearings last month, accusing Feinstein of not adequately questioning the nominee.”
Feinstein came under fire for holding onto Ford’s letter that she received in July and it somehow found its way into the press. This caused a two week circus which ended with Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
It didn’t take long for Feinstein to criticize the FBI investigation. From The Hill:
The senator in a statement denounced the White House for “not allow[ing]” the FBI to interview Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh or one of the women accusing him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford, as part of the ongoing investigation.
“The White House confirmation that it will not allow the FBI to interview Dr. Blasey Ford, Judge Kavanaugh or witnesses identified by [second Kavanaugh accuser] Deborah Ramirez raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation and begs the question: What other restrictions has the White House placed on the FBI?” she said.
In September, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) said “that Feinstein’s office will be investigated to determine whether or not it leaked Ford’s letter to the press.” Cotton claimed that the Democrats “betrayed” and “victimized” Ford “on a search-and-destroy mission for Brett Kavanaugh”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) cannot believe Feinstein is holding onto this dream:
“Apparently one kick of a mule is not enough for Senator Feinstein,” Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said during an appearance Wednesday night on Fox News’s “Hannity” show.
“Here’s what I want every Democratic candidate for the Senate to be asked tomorrow: Do you agree with Dianne Feinstein?” Graham said. “Are you for more humiliation, degrading treatment of this fine man? Are you for continuing this debacle?”
I highly doubt the Democrats take the Senate. If anything, the Republicans have a chance to expand their majority in November.
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Stuck on stupid.
as if they’ll be taking over the Senate anytime soon.
even funnier, she might not even be a Senator, come next year…
if you live in #Failifornia, vote for De Leon, not #Fineswine!
better a zero seniority moron than a senior grade one with lots of clout.
My husband and I both voted for De Leon, despite the fact he is a General of the #Resistance.
Simply, because he is a man. Live by the gender politics, die by the gender politics.
Voting for a true socialist, not the namby-pamby “Democratic Socialist” variety, is far preferable to voting for a living fossil who has moved to the left in hopes of appeasing the crazy California electorate. He’s awful; she’s proved herself worse. Must be the effects of all that hair dye.
How’s DiFi gonna do that while sitting in a maximum security Federal Prison, GITMO maybe?
I am not so sure DiFi will be back.
I hope no one loses sleep on this one. There is no way the Dems are going to regain control of the Senate. It looks like the GOP is going to gain 3-5 seats. Feinstein can say whatever she wants and it doesn’t matter. She is a lock for re-election so I really don’t understand why she has suddenly gone insane.
And all of this talk by out-of-state CA haters urging CA Republicans to “punish” her by voting for outright communist challenger De Leon are falling on deaf ears too. We aren’t that stupid.
At worst, Feinstein is no worse than a typical RINO. There are worse RINOs still being elected and one just died so … We can only vote for what is on the ballot and the GOP didn’t run anyone. Communism is NEVER a good option.
And anyone who really thinks that electing a true communist to “punish” Feinstein is harmless, Alexandria Ocasio Cortes merely garnered 16,000 votes to win the Dem nomination and instantly became a national figure. Imagine if De Leon actually gets elected SENATOR? Is that what all you CA haters want? A COMMUNIST senator?
re:”There is no way the Dems are going to regain control of the Senate.”
I don’t mention this to be merely argumentative, but I’m sure you can recall the past presidential election. The Democrats and Liberals, backed by numerous polls, said there was NO WAY Donald Trump could win… It was in the bag for Hillary. LOL
Well, the bag was full of snot and Hillary fell into it! I’m not so sure about the libs not being able to win a few more seats. The headlines are full of little acts of vengeance against the GOP…and worse of all, the unwashed masses are cheering them on! WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO if you win an election and there is nobody around to follow you — because everyone is still following the losers?
Somehow the GOP has to figure out a way to cork CNN, WaPo and the NYTimes or they’ll end up winning the battles and losing the war.
Is De Leon really going to vote any differently than Feinstein? Heritage Action scores Feinstein at 6%, That’s far worse than Murkowski at 36%. As one poster stated, De Leon will have zero seniority, plus he will say plenty of nutty things to help expose how far left the Dems are. What’s to lose?
2016 voters in NH could not be reached for comment.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/7/voter-fraud-alert-over-5000-new-hampshire-presiden/
Straight out of the tactics shown here…. and this year they don’t have Hildebeeste to be stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDc8PVCvfKs
“out of state”?
i was BORN here…
De Leon, or wait for #Fineswine to die, then see which lunatic Newsome appoints in her place.
better the devil we know with the idiot.
Talk. Two Senators strongly hunted that the FBI found attempts by the Democrats yo suborn perjury, which is what convinced Collins and Flake.
Well, that tears it. I’m voting for the nut. I don’t know who has what on her, but I do know that she knows better. Better to have the flouncing Kamala Harris as senior Senator from California and convert Feinstein’s seat to that of junior bird-man.
That’s the kind of logic that puts the communists in power. De Leon is much worse than Harris who is far worse than Feinstein. You can’t win by losing. And electing communists is ALWAYS wrong. Heck, the Dems want moderates like Feinstein gone. It’s the same logic that spawned the NeverTrumpers.
Actually Heritage Action has Harris at 8% and Feinstein at 6%. You seem to be giving Dianne far more credit than she deserves.
Conservative Review also has Feinstein at 6%. So much for your myth that Feinstein is a moderate Democrat. Just because Feinstein isn’t always saying crazy stuff doesn’t make her a moderate. Manchin is at 18% (moderate Dem range).
I agree it’s a tough call. But California is rigged to present me right now with a choice between two Democrats. My choices are an older, once-moderate Democrat who has blatantly disgraced her position and who has a great deal of seniority (and therefore influence) or a junior bird-man, who is nuts but would have no seniority.
I don’t think we can predict any longer how low Feinstein will go. Because of her accumulated influence, and because of her corruption, it is a real possibility that she’d be worse than the person who would replace her.
The real job is to get a viable second party in California. This will not be easy.
This is off topic, sort of. Judge Kavanaugh is ok for the moment, but there was someone else who was hurt in this hit job, Mark Judge.
I came across an article in PJ Media and this is his plight.
“Mark Judge, the other man accused by Christine Blasey Ford, has lost his job and his home. He is raising money on a GoFundMe alternative site called Funding Morality and has received $48,549 to date. Judge is a cancer survivor and Catholic writer.”
If anyone can help, please do so. The writer of the article said she hopes he sues. Can he? Also, if this is an example of Pelosi’s collateral damage, God help us. If they retake either the House or the Senate, there will be hell to pay.
re: “…there will be hell to pay.”
Everyone remember the ‘good old days’ of politics, when everyone took their turn? After 8 years of Obama and the threat of another Clinton, things have changed.
It almost sounds like American politics could become a ‘blood sport’ with it’s attendant winner’s and loser’s. Yes, I perceive that if/when the Democrats gain control of government again they’ll do their best to get blood out of a turnip. Hopefully by then the Republicans will wake up enough to fight back in the moment of the present, instead of waiting for ‘their turn’ again.
C. Lashown: Everyone remember the ‘good old days’ of politics, when everyone took their turn?
Trump won his political spurs by pretending Obama wasn’t a U.S. citizen. A majority of Republicans still think Obama was born in Kenya.
To be fair, Hillary started that.
zennyfan: to be fair, Hillary started that.
Uh, no. The Clinton campaign explicitly refused to engage in the rumor. “We are never going to say anything about his background.”
However, even if true, that’s not a justification.
There is fairly debatable evidence that Obama was born in Kenya
Rduke008: There is fairly debatable evidence that Obama was born in Kenya
Case in point.
You’ll not get the chance, Chi-Fi.
I say we open an investigation into Justices who drink till they pass out:
https://twitter.com/MouseTLuckyDog/status/1046964185358327811
Here I thought Dr. Blasey Ford has indicated that she wants to end her participation in any investigation or impeachment, so any reopening would clearly be political.
A promise that the warlock trial will progress.
A minor correction. Tom Cotton is from Arkansas (AR) not Alaska (AK).
Investigate what? The American people have decided twice in my lifetime that accusations of sexual assault and rape are not disqualifiers for high public office by electing two, not one but two, men to the office of the presidency while bearing such charges. Those being Clinton and Trump
What did Trump do again?
Silly Mark.
What did Trump do? Probably nothing, however he has been alleged to have committed sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape of a minor all of which are about as substantiated as those against Kav
Those screeching gals may decide to dig up JFK and try the executed president for his dalliances of long ago. Wait. Wasn’t JFK a Democrat? Maybe THAT, not death, will give him a free pass.
Nothing but political posturing for the midterm elections, just like the timing of the Blasey Ford allegation.
Reopen the investigation to what purpose?
Article III says, in part:
“The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour…”
This strongly suggests that once approved by the Senate, only bad behavior while in office counts against continued service. Bad conduct before being approved by the Senate is not an impeachable offense. DiFi can argue that “the behavior wasn’t properly investigated before the Senate gave it’s approval” until she’s blue in the face – the Senate has already given its approval and (apparently) under the rule of Article III, only bad behavior once in office matters as a reason for removal.
I think I see your problem. You’re trying to argue facts, law, and common sense. The problem is, we’re talking about Democrats.
DaveGinOly: DiFi can argue that “the behavior wasn’t properly investigated before the Senate gave it’s approval” until she’s blue in the face – the Senate has already given its approval and (apparently) under the rule of Article III, only bad behavior once in office matters as a reason for removal.
So if it was found out that a justice had secretly poisoned all those above him in the judicial hierarchy so that he could advance, he couldn’t be impeached?
That’s an astute question, but a moot point.
That Justice would go to prison after being tried for murder.
Ragspierre: That Justice would go to prison after being tried for murder.
But apparently remain on the Court.
Two thumbs up for Rags astute comment on Zach’s moot point.
Your straw man has a huge flaw. The conduct you are describing would be new information that came to light after being confirmed which would lead to a murder trial and IMPEACHMENT when/if convicted. Completely different setup than reopening an investigation into information that was known BEFORE confirmation.
gmac124: The conduct you are describing would be new information that came to light after being confirmed which would lead to a murder trial and IMPEACHMENT when/if convicted.
Of course it would lead to impeachment. That’s rather the point. DaveGinOly argued otherwise.
Imagine, after so many years of some semblance of dignity, feinstein goes out to the trash can of history. And not a moment too soon.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children
shout,
But there is no joy in Demville—Dianne Feinstein has struck out.
Hopefully Ms. Feinswine and her Commiecrat minions retake nothing but obscurity.
If only the FBI would interview Dr Ford…
And bankrupt her like they did General Flynn…
While Feinfreak investigates anything sex-related how much attention will the wench devote to the rapes, molestations and murders committed by illegal alien invaders within the sanctuary cities she adores that are in her jurisdictions?
This is an argument that Judge Kavanaugh shouldn’t be impeached, not an argument that he can’t be.
For impeachment remains a political remedy: if you got the votes (and the cojones) then you can impeach. The Constitution here provides guidance only, as there is no appeals process following a successful impeachment.
For the U.S. Senate remains a political body; it’s not a court of law. The Constitution gives it certain enumerated powers and it can use these as it sees fit.
To date, impeachment has been rare. As it should be, for to casually remove judges for political reasons invites chaos. Beto has just gone on record as saying this restraint should be scrapped and, had he the votes, he would scrap it. Because Trump.
Fortunately he’s unlikely to be elected and, if elected, very unlikely to have the votes to impeach. Impeachment of Kavanaugh thus remains political fantasy: “If I were King (and Superhero) I’d fix all sorts of things.”
“The Constitution gives it [the U.S. Senate] certain enumerated powers and it can use these as it sees fit.”
Good luck with that, as many have problems with the people’s enumerated powers.
Everything the Dems do to crank up their base cranks up twice as many of the Republican’s base. The symbol of the Justice Dept. is a balance, after all, and to upend the entire concept of presumed innocence in their pursuit of one man lets most reasonable people see right through the Dems.
They have all these wonderful things they want to do with taxpayer money – but refuse to say just how or where that money will be extracted.
They claim we should believe all women – while sheltering their own sexual predators.
They claim they only want to stop the global disaster of climate change – without actually being able to nail down just how much of that change is natural, and how insignificant an impact spending trillions of dollars over centuries would actually have on it.
And so on…
Democrats producing all the stock footage that the GOP needs to expand their majority this November. Nice.
Well it’s a good thing that America will reject “Skelator’s” political affiliation. #stopbrettbashing #dianneisalooser #redTsunami
Is it just me or does the picture for this thread look just like the old wrinkled alcoholic housewives that were featured on every other episode of Perry Mason? Is there some plant in Kalifornia that manufactures them? You’d think so given the sheer numbers.