Judiciary Committee sets Monday vote on Kavanaugh after accuser rejects testimony deadline
But will it really happen? Grassley goes wobbly, grants another extension of time.
The attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford, who recently accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault dating back to when they were teenagers, repeatedly tried to delay the date of her testimony, if she ever testified.
First she wanted it to wait until after and FBI investigation, that would have been weeks.
Then then she tried to buy as many days as possible, pushing potential testimony from next Monday to next Thursday, That would push a Judiciary Committee vote at least until the week after next, and would guarantee that Kavanaugh could not be confirmed by the entire Senate in time for the October 1, 2018, first argument day of the Supreme Court term (the first Monday in October).
More important, Ford clearly was trying to buy time. But for what? She’s being advised by one of the most ruthless Democrat operatives, Ricki Seidman, who was deeply involved in the take down of Robert Bork and trying to take down Clarence Thomas. Each day they could gain raised the possibility of more Democrat hand grenades thrown into the process, in a desperate attempt to create even more chaos. It’s not clear how long Seidman has been involved with Ford, but back in July Seidman bragged that Democrats had a strategy that might prevent the Kavanaugh confirmation
Ford also demanded conditions for her to testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee, some of which Republicans agreed to, but not her key demands that she testify after the person she accused (Kavanaugh) and that she not be questioned by lawyers.
Steven Dennis of Bloomberg tweeted the conditions Grassley did and did not agree to:
Grassley has agreed to some Ford team requests:
* Postponing hearing from original GOP plan of Monday
* No Kavanaugh in room while she testifies
* A single TV camera & limited press access
* Security accommodations
* Equal time for questioning by each senator
* Breaks
Grassley so far has rejected several of Ford team’s requests, including:
* Asking WH/FBI to reopen background check to investigate
* Testimony from other witnesses
* No staff attorney questions
* Kavanaugh to go first
* Delaying the hearing to Thursday instead of Wednesday
Grassley originally set a 10 a.m. deadline this morning for Ford to agree, but then extended it to 10 p.m. Grassley indicated that if there was not agreement from Ford to appear Wednesday, he would call a Committee vote on Monday.
Grassley must have confidence that the weak Republican links on the Judiciary Committee will vote for Kavanaugh, or he wouldn’t be doing this. Right?
Mitch McConnell also is expressing confidence that Kavanaugh will be confirmed soon.
Ford’s attorney’s responded tonight. And the response is a non-response, they want another day to decide.
This is just more of a stall game. What will Grassley do?
Ford and her attorney’s are playing Republicans like a fiddle, because they know that Republicans have a problem in the form of Collins, Murkowski, Flake and possibly Corker. Flake is on the Judiciary Committee, and while it can be sent to the floor without a committee majority (if Flake votes no or doesn’t vote), that would be embarrassing for Republicans. Also, unless two of those four can be kept on board as to the confirmation vote, Kavanaugh can’t be confirmed.
Ford and Democrats are playing for time, and days matter.
Don’t doubt that Democrats have more to throw at Kavanaugh and Senate Republicans. The next 10 days may be the ugliest and dirtiest yet.
UPDATE:
Looks like Republicans found a backbone (title to post updated), via Atlanta Journal Constitution:
“It’s Friday night and nothing’s been agreed to despite our extensive efforts to make testimony possible,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee….
Just before the deadline, Ford’s lawyers asked for extra time.
But Republicans said enough was enough.
“Chairman Grassley has made every effort all week to find a comfortable way for the Senate to hear Dr. Ford’s story, including sending staff to her,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT).
“Delay, delay, delay,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), as the Senate Judiciary Committee website listed a 10 am Monday “Executive Business Meeting,” where Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination was the first on the list.
Anyone want to bet whether they actually vote Monday?
I’m not putting my money on it, we’ve been burned too many times before.
Further Update: UH OH
Five times now we hv granted extension for Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w her desire stated one wk ago that she wants to tell senate her story Dr Ford if u changed ur mind say so so we can move on I want to hear ur testimony. Come to us or we to u
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 22, 2018
Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. It’s not my normal approach to b indecisive
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 22, 2018
With all the extensions we give Dr Ford to decide if she still wants to testify to the Senate I feel like I’m playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and Schumer is the conductor
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 22, 2018
What is going on here? Those tweets are bizarre.
Maybe Grassley got a call from the Republican weak links who threatened to vote no if he didn’t give her more time.
https://twitter.com/eschor/status/1043352648051818496
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Comments
Close the window. Hold the vote.
2nd the motion. If the Democrats started screaming like little children, throw them out of the hearing. I mean the Democrat senators on the Committee. I fully expect all the loony activists to behave like screming banshees. Throw them out the window.
OK, maybe not the window, but don’t put up with the bullspit any further.
Evan, defenestration is underrated and highly recommended.
I’d not grant them the courtesy of opening the windows first.
This may be a joke (if not, it should be), but supposedly she needs another delay because she’s afraid to fly and wants to drive from CA ….3 to 4 days.
It would not be hard to check the truth of this.
They offered to go to her. She could have stayed right where she is. It is another stall tactic.
In the age of the internet, Skype is your friend.
Another indication that there are problems between her ears.
Looks like Grassely won this one. Is he smart enough to see that?
Hopefully he does not screw it up. Take the vote on Monday. Go to radio silence. The Nation is cheering him on, we want an end to this game.
Watch the dirt fly over the weekend. Ye Ha.
I’m hearing that Murkowski is going wobbly, won’t vote for confirmation without Ford testifying. She’s not on the Judiciary Committee, so Kavanaugh get out of committees, go the floor for debate and the final vote, If all other Republicans hold, it’s 50-50, Pence would be needed as the tie breaker if no Red State Democrats cross over.
She was a wobble before any hearings….. Lisa! won last election as a write-in so she knows her voting block, but can not afford to totally alienate Republicans… not enough LGBQTEVERYBODYELSE and “loyal” FemDems to make it next time if she screws over Kavanaugh.
As with New York State, Anchorage (half of all population in state) is turning bluer and with the handouts for Native population the rest of the state is getting tired of this.
The long standing punch line is , “what did Alaska do to deserve Anchorage?”
She could become the next version of Senator Jeffords. Probably wouldn’t get re-elected, however.
She won her last election with a great deal of help from John Cornyn, who sent attorneys with the National Republican Senate Committee to help her. He didn’t want Joe Miller because he does not want a true conservative! I was livid and believe me a lot of us in Texas do not trust Cornyn as far as we can throw him! We need to primary him, but it is not an easy task.
To everything there is a season. The time for mercy has passed.
There will be no mercy on us from the Uniparty.
After 36 years of time to reflect and ruminate on events (allegedly), the “victim” needs still more time to learn her lines and to get her contrived narrative straight and authentic-sounding; to put the polish on the performance, as it were.
She’s had enough time to memorize the lines for all the major roles of Shakespeare’s entire output, already.
She’s had enough time to learn to speak Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian and Hindi, and, perhaps, Aramaic, as well.
She’s had enough time to trek across the seven continents, on foot.
She had enough time to have single-handedly constructed a spaceship to reach Mars.
But, we are supposed to believe that, nigh 40 years after this alleged incident of traumatic sexual aggression supposedly took place, she needs more time to prepare to tell her tale?
And, conveniently, the “victim’s” claimed fear of crowds/flying prevents her from getting on an airplane to D.C., posthaste. Maybe the Dumb-o-crats can dig up a palanquin and six laborers (all paid a $15/per hour “living wage,” of course) to carry her cross-country in relative comfort and style, so that she can arrive in D.C. sometime around Christmas, to relate her alleged tale of woe.
Schedule the vote for Monday. Enough is enough — we are being played for gullible fools. Time to end this ridiculous charade and transparent political stunt.
The down-tick is mine; I aiming for “Reply”.
“I’m ready for my close-up Senator Grassley…!”
No worries — thank you for the notification. I wish we could edit comments after submission, here.
I guess, on the upside, it does encourage that old and essential skill of proof-reading, before submission!
She claimed in the letter that she had “medical treatment”
What she really had was marriage counseling.
Certain terms are generic and the same term can also have very precise meanings. Counseling could be construed as medical treatment to a layman. However, She has a Phd In Psychaitary. The terms medical treatment and counseling have very distinct and different meanings in her profession. She knows those two terms have distinctly different meanings. To conflate those two shows more than a little dishonesty.
I don’t understand this. The accuser wants to set the rules, calling in witnesses that Kavanaugh cannot dispute because he doesn’t even know the specifics of the allegations are. She should file her criminal complaint in Maryland where it belongs.
Skanky, the statute of limitations on that one passed long, long ago.
Maryland has no statute on rape or attempted rape
I’ve been reading about this at other sites. I believe the removal of the statue of limitations for rape is a relatively rcent thing. The point being debated is: would this removal AFTER the alleged event apply? Or would the laws in place at the time appky?
I believe that statue was taken down with all of the Confederacy statues. Besides, it’s original name was Dyclos, the ancient Greek god of infertility.
To Pasadena Phil: the Greeks really had it going with all those various gods. How about Testicles, pronounced TES-tah-kleez, the god of virility?
To The Friendly Grizzly: Yep, those Greeks had a god for everything. It got so silly that eventually the logic of monotheism took hold.
Thanks for the info. I know many states have been removing it for child molesters who sexually abuse minors, but here, we have two minors going at it, and frankly, the way Ford has written about it, I agree with CNN’s “focus” group of women: they were teenagers, all teenagers do this kind of thing, maybe she liked him and was hurt he didn’t want to see her, who knows?
If I were a prosecutor, I’d never prosecute this in one million years. Or in two million.
Everybody’s clothes stayed on as she alleges and no penetration of nothing happened as she alleges, and everything else she alleges is her exaggeration. She needs to go away. I don’t believe ONE word this partisan is saying.
Plus, I want to know, when did she protest Ed Kennedy? When? Where are the pics?? We have pics of her at other anti-conservative protests.
She’s disgusting.
MD’s whole code is a morass of laws that don’t exist in other states. It would be an ideal state to try to make whatever happened a felony indictment. That being said, an indictment needs evidence. A statement that is countermanded by an independent witness makes it hard to think that you could get a conviction on something. However, the goal of this is to block and delay so that SCOTUS has numerous 4/4 rulings that allow appellate court rulings to stand.
How do you know the party was in Maryland? She didn’t know where or when it was or who was there. Maybe it was in DC or Virginia. West Virginia? Delaware? Maine? And why not “investigate” every high school party on the East coast between 1980 and 1985? That might take the mighty FBI until Wed. unless they have to work on the coup for overthrowing President Trump.
The FBI has friends to protect.
“See, if you look at the drug war from a purely economic point of view, the role of the government is to protect the drug cartel.” – Economist Milton Friedman (1991)
Thus the Dems opposition to the wall?
My personal opinion is that Ford will not testify. Her handlers, the Dems and the libs will spin it as being intensely unfair to her not to wait until the trump of doom for her testimony. They will then beat the drum that this was all a set-up to deny her the right to speak before the Senate.
However, she will very likely appear on several news shows, where sympathetic interviewers will lob her softball questions provided to them by her handlers, after trumpeting her mistreatment at the hands of Republican Senators.
She doesn’t seem to want to really testify, nor does her lawyer want her to.
Suddenly she has a phobia about flying. How convenient.
She wants to change the order of testimony to where Kavanaugh has to answer questions about this episode without having the slightest idea of what she will actually claim, so he cannot refute what she says.
The tone which this Katz wrote the letter is pretty telling that they are trying to set up the victim card. The death threats and all that moving out of the house seems staged to me.
She had more than enough time. Frankly, I don’t believe her story. All the aspects of this “recovered” memory was too convenient to pass the BS meter test.
She can’t remember details, yet remembers that it was Kavanaugh right around the time his name is coming out as a possible SCOTUS pick by Romney. Her actions leading up to this day stink, scrubbing social media, hiding the fact she is an activist of the resistance, meeting with various people in the political world – all leftists of course, taking a lie detector test (supposedly), all in July. How convenient.
The antics, the timing of Finestein dropping this accusation, the refusal of releasing the unredacted letter, of course it is about delaying the vote. Or with some hope, to sway two away from confirming him. All too convenient.
If the leftists succeed in this effort it will be the most vile actions they have done to date. How can so many people not see this for what it truly is?
You know, if this was a Republican claiming not to want to travel by air because of a phobia, the press would be checking their travel records before the witness reached the period on their sentence.
Groovy.
Let’s vote.
It would be something if the 10am deadline was held, and the Republicans on the committee voted Kavanaugh to the Senate floor earlier today.
Dollars to donuts, she finds a way to be in DC for that Monday vote.
After appearing on all the Sunday shows.
Nope, unless they have pictures. Mud is going to fly this weekend. Kavanaugh might not make it but he sure will be a bitch to deal with in his current court.
Trump wins no matter what on this one. If Kavanaugh does not make it, the Red Wave will win. Dems need to fold this hand or they are toast going forward. They had made enough show to win the support they need for midterms, but if they over play it, even if Kavanaugh makes it, they lose. They are over playing it right now.
Mark, let’s be real. Think about what it means if Kavanaugh doesn’t make it. It means a preposterous standard of perfection is required to get Senate confirmation for GOP SCOTUS nominees, a standard I dare say no democrat nominee could pass if we had complete knowledge of their lives.
If only actual angels can be on SCOTUS, how much longer will such a court exist?
If the American people genuinely believe only ACTUAL angels should be on SCOTUS, who lobotomized them? Whoever it is, we need to dispatch with them, it, whatever. Schools? Media? Whatever.
The American people decided in 1996 that allegations of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and even defiling the intern with a cigar are not disqualifiers for holding high public office.
Just the opposite. If Kavenaugh doesn’t make it, it will be because of the turncoat Republicans. Why vote for Republicans when they act just like the dems?
Democrats have shown an incredible capacity for doing stupid things. Emotion seems to Trump effective tactics.
She’ll take a very fast train. :-{)}}}
Expect massive protests and riots in DC on Monday as they bus in tens of thousands of leftists to try to shut the Senate down.
I hope trump is ready to call out Army and Marines; they might have to quash this rebellion by force.
I wish I were kidding, or delusional, but I’m not.
With lots of looting, because they are entitled to free stuff.
they sat on the letter for what 3 months, now they was to hear her, and do an investigation, what’s that saying ‘lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute a emergency on mine’
Actually I think it was 1 1/2 months, but the other 1 1/2 were used to craft it.
So what is next? Is this going to be a John Edwards moment or a fake scam. If it was a John Edwards moment, I think Feinstein would have thrown the card in sooner.
I think extra time is require to manufacture more false claims.
Grassley must be pretty confident and know something to extend this or he is just plain stupid or being blackmailed.
1) According to Tucker Carlson, if the Committee vote does not take
place this Thursday, then it will not take place at all this
session ie after the election. This is the whole point of the
delay.
I do not think McConnell will allow that to happen.
2) The committee cannot do anything anyway until Monday. Use that as
your “internal” red line. They want another day fine. I would
however not repsond to her letter. Just wait for her to respond.
3) McCaskill says she will vote “no”. I don’t believe her. Force her
to choose. If as has been suggested Murkowski will flip that will
make up for it. Plus a few other Democrats.
The main thing is to keep cool. The Democrats have hurt themselves several times very badly. Most notably Hirono numbskull. Some people are starting to fray. Don’t get flustered with guys like Flake or Collins. Kavanaugh is someone that they all want to confirm.
The conservative treehouse has a term, “cold anger”. Approach it with that not hot and reckless fury.
I appreciate the Senate’s need for rules, but in the age of instant communication via the net, the idea that rules would provide no vote could be taken between the end of September until after November 6th or so, is ridiculous.
Senators need to learn to work during their day job. If they did, they might actually inspire me to do mine. I’d be awestruck.
AND what will happen when the Dems just refuse to show up for the vote? Everyone recalls how the Wisconsin Democraps vanished one fine day, and either the State Police or the County Sheriffs had to round up the malcontent basturds.
I think a quorum in Wisconsin is 60% in the US Senate it is 50%+1.
So they can’t stop it by not showing up.
A quorum in the Judiciary Committee is 9 with at least 2 from the minority party.
Expect all but one (Spartacus?) Democrat to boycott the meeting. And the purpose of that one is to demand a quorum be present before conducting any business.
And expect the missing members of the committee to be hiding out of state (in California with Dr. Ford?) so that it will be next to impossible for the Senate’s Sargent at Arms and the Capital Police to deliver them to the proceedings.
If they try that Grassley has a simple alternative. He can call an informal unofficial sense of the Judiciary vote.
Since it is not official they can’t stop iot. Especially if they are not there. He can then report the unofficial vote to the Senate.
That is enough for McConnell, he can move for a floor vote. You don’t need a formal report from the Judicial Committee for the floor vote. Bork came back witha report that was negative and Thomas never had one.
I think Trump should send out a tweet:
“I think BK should be on the SCOTUS, but am beginning to fear that Dem dirty tricks are going to prevent it. In that case, I will appoint Amy Coney Barret. She’s highly qualified and we know she didn’t molest anyone as a teenager.”
Watch the Dems suddenly rush to confirm Kavanaugh.
Also, I wish people would start picking up the “Why didn’t she ask the FBI to investigate 35 years ago tweet.”
Can’t be done before the midterms. Everyone knows that it is Kavanaugh or no one. I have no faith in Grassley, He is an old man who has spent his life compromising. He treated the Senate scum like his grandchildren during the Kavanaugh hearings and it sickened me. Imagine being lectured to by the likes of the dishonorable swine Blumenthal! Or the black witch Harris? Even worse was the moronic fool from Hawaii. And let’s not forget Sparky Booker. They treated the Judge like he was on trial for child molestation! Their job is to advise and consent. Not to interrogate as in a criminal trial. Grassley let them get away with it. Don’t expect too much from him or the other jellyfish.
That’s not a very good bluff. Cornett wouldn’t get the votes of Murkowski or Collins, and the Democrats know it.
Do you think the GOP will niot picl up two seats? There goes that/
The Democrats believe they’re going to win the Senate. Whether they’re right or wrong, they’re going to act on their beliefs, not what we believe.
THE ENTIRE story was a fabrication fed to a marginally sane person with the purposes of attacking a sitting President of America. There are people out in the general public willing to do anything to affect a stated goal. Gunning down innocent women and children is just one technique…
What’s next on the agenda to defeat President Trump and his policies? Assassination? Terrorism?
Why not just make Ford head of the Senates. The GOP are the most juvenile, stupid, sissy boys, whiny women in the entire world, outside of Sweden. I mean I HATE the Republicans. They are so stupid not one could match a first year law student.
Whimpering creeps, all.
Worse. They’re corrupt.
How McConnell and Chao used political power to make their family rich:
https://nypost.com/2018/03/17/how-mcconnell-and-chao-used-political-power-to-make-their-family-rich/
I’ve long suspected that Ford would string them along as long as possible, but then decline to appear because she doesn’t want to be exposed to perjury charges. Grassley should have just issued subpoenas for Ford, Kavanaugh, and anyone else she’s named to appear on Monday. Oh, wait! Feinstein hasn’t given Grassley the un-redacted letter that names the other names.
This is simply a stalling tactic, exploiting Ford to try to stop the confirmation. The Dems have said all along that they will do anything to stop the process, and this must be their best attempt. I suspect that when Grassley calls for a vote, one of the Dems will bring up another salacious rumor.
It would be interesting to hear from Chris Garrett and his recall of any parties at his parents house where Ms Ford was present
The next vote that needs to be held is to Censure Fineslime.
On this latest extended extension, I don’t think it’s effectively a change. The weekend means they can’t do anything anyway. If they declare times up and Ford declares tomorrow that she wants to testify Wednesday, surely they’d have to walk back their hard time. This way they get the benefit of seeming extra flexible without having to endure the Sunday shows talking about how the caved, or refuse to.
And if Ford doesn’t come through over the weekend the vote is still scheduled.
These communists don’t have the votes. Who are we impressing by caving over and over again to these crazies? Grassley has been a very weak committee chairman from the opening bell and his endless concessions are dispiriting to those of us who have been winning the elections. What’s the point of elections?
Let’s put both wings of the Democratic party out of business once and for all! The Dems have already been wrecked by people who cannot win national elections. All we have to do is rally around Trump and clean our own house. McConnell and Grassley are the very face of what we are fighting. They just refuse to win. As voters, we can’t do any more. Even if the Senate had 102 Republicans with an enthusiastic electorate cheering their every move, these guys would find a way to lose at the last minute.
Nothing has changed.
Phil, you are so right. So, so right.
And it appears the #WalkAway movement is moving people to the GOP and they’ll be so disgusted when they see the new team is getting beaten easily by their old team.
Has Grassley scheduled the vote for Monday AND given Ford another day to decide? That’s better than NOT scheduling a meeting until after she decides. At least he got the vote moved from late Wednesday after testimony back to Monday. Or have I missed something?
He has scheduled a vote Monday, but no announcement on the extension.
He’ll cave as soon as Feinstein calls him a bully
Grassley is a coward. continually backing down as a misfit disrupts the Senate. I think Kavanaugh should make his own private demand. He should tell Grassley that he has had enough of this persecution of himself and his family, that he will withdraw if Grassley allows any more delays.
YEAH!
This is why you’re called Lombardi!
Grassley’s twitter account has probably been hacked. Pay no attention to the last few tweets. Look to an official site for announcements.
He’s calling Flake and Corker for advice, as well as organizing a seance to get McCain’s input.
Stale as year-old bread, just as moldy, and – given the times – even more useless.
Trump is the gold standard.
Why does an 85-year-old man type like a 12-year-old girl?
Because it’s easier. U kno im rite.
The same reason many people do it. Character limit.
I should point out that the account didn’t have to be hacked. A twitter employee could have done it/
Yeah, well on Gab.com you get 300 characters, unless you’re pro in which case you get 3,000.
Love Gab!
If the president announced he was migrating to Gab, there’d be an amazing explosion. But, doinf that would bring all the trolls and SJWs along with him.,
Yeah, well SJWs are entitled to free speech too, although why they bother with their idiocies is beyond me.
Living within the character limit does not mean you have to type like a junior high girl. It means you need to condense your language like an adult.
This is what he typed:
This is what he should have typed, which is almost 100 fewer characters:
It just hit me that he wrote, “I want to hear her” and not “Yeah I know this BS is ridiculous.” Wonder if he wants to delay this as much as she does.
One thing is for certain the leftist owned media companies are making a fortune on all this attention.
Stop being cowards and just hold the damned vote. She doesn’t get to dictate the terms of her testimony. Either she shows up and accuses Kavanaugh under oath or she can shut the hell up and go away.
This is why the GOP remains the Stupid Party. Once again, fumbling at the one yard line. Is McConnell going to step in and end this circus or not? Clearly, Grassley is too feeble-minded and spineless to get it done.
On every single battlefront, Republicans are again going all jazz hands and jimmy legs. Trump is the only Republican who knows how to fight and not afraid to take the initiative.
Grassley: “I feel like I’m playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and Schumer is the conductor”
No. I think you probably have people in your own party who are screwing this up. I think Flake may be considering running for president and Collins for governor. I don’t know what Corker’s plans are when he leaves office but he seems to think pretty highly of himself.
Ulterior motives and ambitions have been a part of politics since Caesar.
Grassley just doesn’t have the spine to control his own committee. From the opening seconds when he allowed those orchestrated protests, he has refused to take charge. It only seems complicated because we keep letting these cowards off the hook.
It is now up to McConnell and Grassley to seize victory and woe to any Republican who dares squeak cross them. But these guys just don’t want to win. We don’t need anymore BS tactical analysis. Step into the end zone already!
“Maybe Grassley got a call from the Republican weak links who threatened to vote no if he didn’t give her more time.”
That would be a pathetic sign of weakness. It’s time for Grassley to take control of his committee and for McConnell to play hardball with the “Republican weak links”. IMHO, the weakest links of all are again the guys at the top who keep finding endless excuses for why they can’t take that last step into the end zone. “Don’t do it! It’s a trick! That’s what the want us to do!” Pathetic.
Is the objective to get Kavanaugh confirmed or to torture him into withdrawing? At this point, I would be seriously tempted to be asking “Whose side are you on?” And good luck finding another good candidate. With friends like the Republicans, why would any good candidate throw his life away?
Anyone who cares to understand how far Congress has drifted from its primary purpose of civilized deliberation should take 34 minutes to watch this Hillsdale College lecture. Including Professsor Jacobson and Mark Levin.
https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/western-heritage/lecture-04
If you can grasp the roots of how Congress came to be and why it was such a good idea, it is not hard to grasp why these Kavanaugh hearings have to be concluded immediately and followed up by proceedings to root out the organized cabal that refuses to deliberate within the rules and refuses to be civilized. Grassley should have put a stop to this within minutes of the start of these hearings.
We don’t need lawyers pre-writing the latest post-mortem for another Republican failure. We need to seize the moment while we can and WIN! We are facing a globally organized movement determined to destroy all vestiges of democracy and need to be willing to do what it takes to win even if it means “risking” being criticized for being “mean” after we win. Let’s win for once and let the losers wallow in angst.
We don’t need lawyers micromanaging the politics of defeat. We need to win! Step into the end zone already!
This really is a disastrous move for Republicans because (1) it makes them look weak, and (2) it makes them look spineless. There are only two possible reasons for it: either the Vichey Republicans–Flake, et al–told Grassley they would vote against Kavanaugh if they didn’t grant the extension, or more likely given Grassley’s last tweet, all the Democrats on the committee threatened to boycott, which would have prevented any business, since you have two minority members. I know one thing: if I were Brett Kavanaugh, I would threaten to withdraw my name if the committee either does not vote on Monday, or if she doesn’t testify by Wednesday.
Remember during the opening moments of the hearings on day 1 when Senator Hatch yelled to Grassley to “Get control of your committee!” through the chaos? And now we learn that Grassley supposedly whined ” I feel like I’m playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and Schumer is the conductor…”
Grassley is a doddering, senile old fool. He fully understood that the chaos on day one was being orchestrated by members of his own commmittee. Someone introduce him to the chairman of that committee because he doesn’t seem to realize that it is him.
The consequence of being a whimp!
Living argument for term limits.
Something to keep in mind about Kavanaugh. Yes it’s tough on him, but he waited three years to be confirmed for a judgeship during the Bush filibuster wars. he can handle it.
Looks like I called it.
https://twitter.com/BrianKarem/status/1043306079713734657
Some are now pushing for MD to arrest BK.
That would result in suit against police for false arrest, false imprisonment and abuse under color of authority. Which is about right for Maryland. Police investigate crimes yet by any stretch this is beyond the pale. No felony has been committed. Get the Maryland Dems will do that….THINK of this country run by one party!
If anyone wonders why so many of us “deplorables” support Trump, and conversely have left the Republican Party, here is exhibit A. We simply do not trust Republican party leaders to do what they say. Think about this for a minute: the chairman of the judiciary gives a hard and fast deadline for something that has been played for a week, and few hours later says “never mind” in a mewling, whining series of tweets that could have been written by my five year old. Let’s be clear here: Ford is going to get everything she wants via her demands. Other “witnesses” will be supoenoed; the Senators will ask questions, Kavanaugh will go first. The Republican Senators are more terrified of offending Ford and looking like bullies than they are of treating their own nominee fairly. Kavanaugh’s real enemy here is not the Democrats, it is the Republicans.
That’s impossible. Mitch McConnell promised us that wouldn’t happen.
Here is the difference between Democrats and Republicans: During the Obamacare debate, my congressman–a Democrat– and a friend of mine who also served in Congress–also a Democrat–both knew that they would lose re-election if they voted for Obamacare. Pelosi told them to do it anyway, and they did. Can you see any Republican member of the Senate doing that over something as important as who sits on the Supreme Court? Me either.
the biggest difference is you have many RINO’s in the Senate who are totally gutless in the face of adversity
you didn’t have that when the ACA vote went down because the Democrats who played their state voter base that they were the middle of the aisle type knew they would be exposed as their far left cohorts BUT voted yes anyways to push that legislation through
HERE you have a 35 year old allegation with zero evidence supporting her claim against a potential SC nominee done at the 11th hour – and people like Flake and Collins are taking her seriously enough to allow THAT to delay a confirmation vote
Grassley should have had a better handle on the situation from the outset of the charge but the way he represented the deadline and worse his consistent pandering to Left without holding them to any consequence has made the entire falsehood into what it is today as of 9/22
the Republicans by acknowledging Dr. Ford’s ridiculous allegation in any way remotely serious completely bit them in the ass because THAT gave the flakes like Flake cover to be like “oh, maybe she should be heard before we vote.”
instead the proper course was to immediately dismiss it as a bogus 35 year allegation but demand the accuser to come to DC immediately and without delay to testify under oath if she wanted to be taken seriously
(which she wouldn’t have)
instead what WE got was a constant game of email tag between Ford’s lawyers and Grassley’s group of ninnies
THIS is beyond ridiculous at this point now over a week later with Ford still haven’t zero evidence to back up her claim
We are naive enough to think those people are there to represent us. They are there to remain employed, by any means necessary.
This is why I keep saying that we’ll never make progress against the Democrats until we clean out the RINOs. They are cowards and saboteurs.
but Grassley opened the door by taking the allegation seriously when he should have made statements about how ridiculous it was but then demand the accuser to come forward under oath and testify to it
cmon – a 35 year allegation that we now know she has faulty recollection of and doesn’t even match up to the notes that her own therapist has?
there are more holes in Dr. Ford’s allegation than piece of swiss cheese
instead Grassley pandered to the left by taking a baseless allegation at face value then trying to “negotiate” terms so she can feel more comfortable talking about it at a later date
I mean give me a break – that was possibly the most gutless route Grassley could have taken when dealing with this
When Trump promised to drain the Swamp I wonder if he knew just how big a job it would be. Good Luck Donald J.!
Good move Grassley. What’s another day? The more the Ford team delays, it works against them.
I have to say, that might be a good point. However, the hearing and the vote must proceed as scheduled.
Two things I think are important. Tha unredacted text of the letter she sent. There’s a reason it’s redacted.
Her FaceBook posts. These will discredit her, or she would not have deleted them. The Republicans got wind of this accusation a month before Feinstein announced it They prepared. I’m certain they archived her social media.
There’s a very specific claim making the rounds that on May 17, she posted a comment to the effect that someone should accuse Gorsch and accuse every Trump appointee.
I have no way of knowing if this is true, but it is a fact that the Republicans are very confident about this nomination. Contrast this to the way they caved on Moore.
Facts make a difference, and there must be some facts behind the confidence.
All members of congress who have paid hush money to their victims, with OUR money no less, need to be exposed!
How many of them are on the Judiciary Committee questioning Judge Kavanaugh about something that MAY have happened 36 years ago when he was 17.
ALL of congress is complicit in the cover-up because they have declared to keep the list of the guilty, SECRET! They need to explain why they did so!
A question for the attorneys here. I have read several places that the letters written by Kavanaugh and Judge are subject to perjury penalties if it is shown the statements in them are not true. Would any written correspondence in a matter such as this be subject to a perjury penalty? If yes, might that be the reason why the letter that Senator Feinstein possesses is being withheld, it is too great a risk to have it officially entered into the record?
I’m pretty certain that if she testifies, she will be questioned about the full text of the letter.
It’s my understanding that perjury only obtains when a witness is “before the court”. That extends to any time a judicial officer places a witness under oath, as when a deposition is taken.
This is quite different from the crime of lying to a LEO, which does not require any “before the court” condition. No oath is required.
In the case of a letter, even one addressed to Congress, neither perjury or the crime of lying to a LEO would obtain.
This is, of course, not to say that lying in a letter or any other durable communication is without consequence. It pins the witness to certain positions that can be closely examined in the proper forum, including the press and public discourse. More weighty, it can be challenged and dissected minutely if a witness is subsequently placed under oath (perjury) or questioning by a LEO.
I hope that helps.
What about Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, the general false statement statute?
I believe statements filed with a Congressional Committee fall under this act and one could be subject to prosecution if the statement contains any material falsehoods. However, the accusers letter to Feinstein is still a ‘private communication’ and would not be actionable as things now stand.
Here is a link to an article on this subject.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/98-808.pdf
In skimming the PDF it appears that providing false information, concealing information, etc in an investigation or hearing before Congress or any committee or subcommittee thereof is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Being sworn in falls under a different section. I think I have a really good idea why the letter is not being shared. Thanks for the link!
Outside my wheelhouse.
What do you think it means as pertains to letters from Judge or Kavanaugh?
I don’t think this is true. I have limited experience here, used to work for a member of Congress. Not every committee requires an oath before testimony, but if you give Congress false information, knowing full well that it’s false, they may be able to charge you with something other than perjury. If you were sworn in under oath, that’s were perjury comes in.
Feinstein asked that California Rep. for a letter by Ford. She wrote one and that Rep. sent it to Feinstein. Ford didn’t send it unsolicited to Feinstein. Federal law states that:
1.) You can be charged if you lie “in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully.”
And
2.) It is against the law if you knowingly, willingly make a false statement during “any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.”
Since these charges are impossible to prove now, and unless Ford says, “I made everything up”, then she saying she can’t remember X, Y, Z might get her off the hook for being charged with something. But if there are things in her letter than can prove she is a BS artist, she is in trouble.
You may be correct, but if it is an ‘official’ submittal to the committee then all members should have a right to see it.
Deadline in Republicaneese means prettysickline.
shes scared of flying due to (supposedly{ only 1 emergency exit. but most a/c (even regional jets) have at least 2 and often 3 exits.
so supposedly shes driving to DC.
yeah no parade will be following her.
I think I read somewhere that she interned in Hawaii. How did she get there, swim?
If she testifies she should be shown the redacted letter and asked questions along the lines of:
When did you write the letter?
What words from your letter were redacted?
Each word, word by word.
If she does not recall, her memory speaks for itself.
If she says she remembers but refuses to say, then . . . .
Oh my, Hot Air has this:
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/09/21/christina-blasey-ford-needs-time-drive-across-country-doesnt-like-airplanes/
So DeVarney and another friend have known about her discomfort in confined spaces but Ford only connected that to the alleged assault when she told her friend about it for the first time last month.
She sounds like a real head case and this has zero to do with Kavanaugh. This story is not going to end very nicely. Sad, just sad and used by the DNC.
Looks like the meeting Monday has been postponed:
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/nomination-of-the-honorable-brett-m-kavanaugh-to-be-an-associate-justice-of-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-day-5
Once upon a time I worked for a member of Congress in a district office. Several regular people would come in or call and talk about an ongoing problem they had with some federal agency. There was one good guy, truly getting hosed by dept., I can’t remember which, but he was at his wit’s end because his case hadn’t been resolved in years. One day he came in and sat down and was calm then after talking for a while got out of the chair and started pacing around. He said: “I’ve never been a violent man but now I understand when someone feels like taking a baseball bat into an office and beat the hell out of everyone and everything.” He wasn’t talking about me, he was talking about the agency screwing him over. It may have been the IRS, they were the worst to deal with.
Anyway, I’m not a violent man but now I understand what THAT guy felt.
I understand the political implications of all this, but for me, it goes deeper than politics. Decency, honor, honesty, respect – are all core values with me – and I recognize them in Judge Kavanaugh and his family. What the other side is doing, is despicable to me and I’m getting tired of of swallowing my utter disdain for them. I do understand the baseball-bat dreams.
Big fan of western novels here – Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. While fictional, they are period correct. One man insults or slanders another? Better have a good dental plan, or a pre-paid funeral arranged. I’m sickened that there are seemingly no more consequences for out-right lying, slander, character-assassination, etc. Thankful I’ve only got about 20 years left.
Totally agree.
Also totally approve of your avatar. One of the funniest shows ever made!
It is now 55 minutes until Chuck Grassley’s latest “deadline”. I have a question for everyone on this thread: Based upon the events of the last 24 hours does anyone disagree that the following will happen:
1. Grassley will extend the deadline again today
2.By close of day tomorrow, Republicans will have agreed to the following:
a. Ford will testify Thursday instead of Wednesday
b. Kavanaugh will testify first
3. only members of the committee will question
4. supoenoes will be issued for Mark Judge, and others
5. The FBI will be asked to open an investigation
I’ll take that one. 2-5 being No, and 1 being “If she doesn’t show on Monday or has an ironclad agreement to show Tuesday, they’ll vote and move it on.”
Absolute, positive worst, Wednesday 10AM vote.
Im watching this in real time on Fox. What I have just learned is that Republican Senators on the committee–make that Flake–insisted on the extension. Fox also let us know that Republican Senators are all getting fed up with this and are insistent that the hearing take place no later than Wednesday….or Thursday. Note that. There will not be a vote by Wednesday because the hearing won’t take place until Thursday “at the earliest.”
McConnell says this is a hill he is willing to die on.
I think these Ford requests were anticipated.
I’ve lost track of this match. What’s the score and who’s serving?
Well, she has announced she will testify. Note that her lawyer in her statement says is the beginning of the negotiation, not the end. We don’t know what day she will testify. I stand by my earlier statement that the Republicans will cave on everything by the end of the night.
We don’t have a real government any more.
Even if Ford’s complaint is sincere, the fact that Seidman is involved is a clear signal that her complaint has been weaponized by the Democrat party, and has become a political matter and not a matter of justice.
If this nomination is derailed, it will be the end of the GOP and possibly the country.