I listened to the hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh earlier today, and found myself getting kind of disgusted, once again, at what a circus act, a theater of the absurd, Washington has become.
Sometimes, I don't understand what is happening in this country.
Two people, absolutely swearing that they are telling the truth, and both telling completely different stories. Obviously, one of them is wrong, because they cannot both be right.
Two people, absolutely swearing that they are telling the truth, and both telling completely different stories. Obviously, one of them is wrong, because they cannot both be right.
Perhaps I am missing something here. But I will employ the same kind of thinking that I do with the situation between Israelis and Palestinians, which is that it is difficult to know who or what to believe in this case.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford sounded believable. Yet, she was not exactly grilled during the hearing, and there were important things that she could have been more seriously scrutinized over. Republicans, perhaps finally mindful of how dismissive they often appear to be towards women, opted not to question Ford. The Democrats - at least quite a few of the ones who I heard - tripped over themselves to make this official inquiry a public theater, often seemingly quite transparently to advance their own political ambitions. New Jersey's own Corey Booker was very much like this yesterday, going on and on about how much Ford had to endure and how brave she was - all the while hardly allowing her to actually speak - before he would get to the point and ask her a question, which she answered quickly, and which Booker then responded to by talking still more. Booker is making his name known in Washington, and most people expect him to make a run for the White House in 2020. I know, it shocked me, too. Who would have thunk it? The chances were...what? One in maybe two? One in one, even?
The thing with Booker is that he says enough of the right things to sound impressive. But then, you hear stories about him, and check to verify them, and it takes off a lot of the shine from the man. What he did yesterday, taking the spotlight so that it shined on him as much as he possibly could for as long as he could, was disgusting. It was, frankly, a sickening display of political opportunism by a man who has already taken quite a bit of money to ensure that a better, more universal, more affordable healthcare system never takes root in this country. It was a transparent advertisement for himself, perhaps taking a page from Donald Trump himself, getting free publicity. Clearly, Booker knew just how many people would be tuning in, and wanted to make sure that his already prominent name and face would be seen, and his voice heard, for the entire nation. You think he has plans for the White House? He seems like he wants to be another Barack Obama, and he seemed less interested in getting to the truth yesterday, as he was trying to take center stage so that people remember him when he inevitably announces his candidacy in the presidential race for 2020.
Nor was Booker alone. The Democrats more generally seemed to be using this as an opportunity to advance their political agenda, and make it seem like they are standing up to Trump and Trumpism. Never mind that they have a long, extensive history of folding faster than a deck of cards when they have to face determined political opponents - or supposed opponents. Remember how cautious they were in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion? Prominent Democrats like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton would urge extreme caution, even skepticism, towards the invasion, but then voted in favor of the war. Then, they criticized Bush's handling (or mishandling) of it, but made sure to leave enough room to receive credit if, in the end, everything went well, and the war proved popular and politically profitable. That same kind of posturing as the political opposition won the day during the Clinton years and, let's face it, that was pretty much what we got during the Obama years, as well. Both gave good speeches, I'll grant you that. But Clinton was often referred to as "Republican light." And Obama, remember, kept Bush's elitist tax policies benefiting the wealthiest for most of his first term. With corrupt emerging "leaders" like Booker, they are sure to follow the same path. They feign moral outrage over Trump's blatant corruption and put up symbolic resistance, while pocketing corporate money themselves and opposing any move towards more serious progressive reforms at each and every turn.
Those Democrats - who have come to dominate the party, frankly - were on prominent display yesterday. It was not about Ford, and not even about Kavanaugh. Hell, it was not even about Trump. It was, as it always is, about political posturing. The same old same old, of course.
Now, even though the Democrats have indeed turned this into a public spectacle, there was testimony, by both Ford and Kavanaugh. And frankly, both sounded believable. Here was Ford's account of the alleged incident, which is supposed to have happened in the summer of 1982:
“I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life.”
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford sounded believable. Yet, she was not exactly grilled during the hearing, and there were important things that she could have been more seriously scrutinized over. Republicans, perhaps finally mindful of how dismissive they often appear to be towards women, opted not to question Ford. The Democrats - at least quite a few of the ones who I heard - tripped over themselves to make this official inquiry a public theater, often seemingly quite transparently to advance their own political ambitions. New Jersey's own Corey Booker was very much like this yesterday, going on and on about how much Ford had to endure and how brave she was - all the while hardly allowing her to actually speak - before he would get to the point and ask her a question, which she answered quickly, and which Booker then responded to by talking still more. Booker is making his name known in Washington, and most people expect him to make a run for the White House in 2020. I know, it shocked me, too. Who would have thunk it? The chances were...what? One in maybe two? One in one, even?
The thing with Booker is that he says enough of the right things to sound impressive. But then, you hear stories about him, and check to verify them, and it takes off a lot of the shine from the man. What he did yesterday, taking the spotlight so that it shined on him as much as he possibly could for as long as he could, was disgusting. It was, frankly, a sickening display of political opportunism by a man who has already taken quite a bit of money to ensure that a better, more universal, more affordable healthcare system never takes root in this country. It was a transparent advertisement for himself, perhaps taking a page from Donald Trump himself, getting free publicity. Clearly, Booker knew just how many people would be tuning in, and wanted to make sure that his already prominent name and face would be seen, and his voice heard, for the entire nation. You think he has plans for the White House? He seems like he wants to be another Barack Obama, and he seemed less interested in getting to the truth yesterday, as he was trying to take center stage so that people remember him when he inevitably announces his candidacy in the presidential race for 2020.
Nor was Booker alone. The Democrats more generally seemed to be using this as an opportunity to advance their political agenda, and make it seem like they are standing up to Trump and Trumpism. Never mind that they have a long, extensive history of folding faster than a deck of cards when they have to face determined political opponents - or supposed opponents. Remember how cautious they were in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion? Prominent Democrats like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton would urge extreme caution, even skepticism, towards the invasion, but then voted in favor of the war. Then, they criticized Bush's handling (or mishandling) of it, but made sure to leave enough room to receive credit if, in the end, everything went well, and the war proved popular and politically profitable. That same kind of posturing as the political opposition won the day during the Clinton years and, let's face it, that was pretty much what we got during the Obama years, as well. Both gave good speeches, I'll grant you that. But Clinton was often referred to as "Republican light." And Obama, remember, kept Bush's elitist tax policies benefiting the wealthiest for most of his first term. With corrupt emerging "leaders" like Booker, they are sure to follow the same path. They feign moral outrage over Trump's blatant corruption and put up symbolic resistance, while pocketing corporate money themselves and opposing any move towards more serious progressive reforms at each and every turn.
Those Democrats - who have come to dominate the party, frankly - were on prominent display yesterday. It was not about Ford, and not even about Kavanaugh. Hell, it was not even about Trump. It was, as it always is, about political posturing. The same old same old, of course.
Now, even though the Democrats have indeed turned this into a public spectacle, there was testimony, by both Ford and Kavanaugh. And frankly, both sounded believable. Here was Ford's account of the alleged incident, which is supposed to have happened in the summer of 1982:
“I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life.”
She sounded sure of herself, and was believable. But Kavanaugh also made some points himself.
I understand that he might be guilty, and that he did not sound exactly enthusiastic at the idea of an FBI investigation. And yes, I understand that this reluctance sounded contradictory to his opening statement, when he boldly claimed that he would welcome any investigation into his past. For that matter, I understand that some people, particularly on the left,suggested that he sounded whiny and self-pitying.
I understand that he might be guilty, and that he did not sound exactly enthusiastic at the idea of an FBI investigation. And yes, I understand that this reluctance sounded contradictory to his opening statement, when he boldly claimed that he would welcome any investigation into his past. For that matter, I understand that some people, particularly on the left,suggested that he sounded whiny and self-pitying.
Perhaps, but that does not necessarily mean that he did those things that he is accused of doing. This hearing is, at least supposedly, about whether he actually is guilty of sexual assault or not. That means that we have to look at the facts of the case, and whether I like him or not, Kavanaugh made a compelling case with some of his first statements, mostly by focusing on the facts:
"Less than two weeks ago, Dr. Ford publicly accused me of committing wrongdoing at an event more than 36 years ago when we were both in high school. I denied the allegation immediately, categorically and unequivocally. All four people allegedly at the event, including Dr. Ford’s longtime friend, Ms. Keyser, have said they recall no such event. Her longtime friend, Ms. Keyser, said under penalty of felony that she does not know me and does not believe she ever saw me at a party ever. Here’s the quote from Ms. Keyser’s attorney’s letter. “Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present with or without Dr. Ford.'"
Now, don't get me wrong. I am no fan of Brett Kavanaugh. He is a Trump appointee, and so right away, he is suspect in my book. Trump is a joke of a so-called leader, and if this country were an actual democracy, he would not even be in the White House, because he lost the popular vote by nearly three million. Also, the Republicans blocked the nomination of Merrick Garland in 2016. In other words, the Democrats made political theater of this case in answer to the Republicans making not only a political show in 2016 by playing up the election and refusing to even consider Garland, but also neglected the Constitution of the United States in the process. Garland should at least have gotten a hearing and, frankly, he likely should be in the Supreme Court right now.
By the way, that was yet another instance of the Democrats folding to pressure by Republicans. That was not merely political strategy, but that was refusing to do their job, as defined by the Constitution. It also set up the whole trend of Trump and the Republicans taking far too many liberties with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights ever since, with the Democrats, predictably, putting up token "resistance."
The Republicans ground the process to a halt then, and then got the Supreme Court pick that they wanted after the death of Justice Scalia. Now, in an election year, they reversed course, wanting to rush the nomination of Kavanaugh before the election. As the Church Lady might once have said, "How convenient."
Of course, the Democrats cannot have that, because their own weakness and inadequacy as a real alternative to Trump and Trumpism would be too obvious. So now, about a month and change away from the election, they are making a political show of this whole thing. They sense Trump's weakness and vulnerability, that he really could be defeated in 2020 (although amazingly, with the Democrats, that is not a sure thing at all).
And so, they are putting themselves on prominent display, giving speeches and ramping up this whole resistance to the Kavanaugh nomination. Many of their supporters have already been convinced - well before the testimony by either Ford or Kavanaugh yesterday - that Kavanaugh is indeed guilty. Many Trump supporters were equally as convinced - again well before the testimony by either Ford or Kvanaugh yesterday - that Kavanaugh is innocent of all charges. There are more charges now, as three other women have come forth and made similar allegations against Kavanaugh.
Listening to the thing yesterday, I frankly could not even tell who to believe. Ford was convincing, but the lack of serious scrutiny, as well as the fact that those four people who Ford herself said were present stated that they remember no such incident, are more than a little troubling, and hardly seem to make this an open and shut case. Kavanaugh was fairly convincing during his opening statement as well, but the fact that he unequivocally welcomed any investigation during that statement, and then seemed incredibly hesitant towards the idea of an FBI investigation once he was pressed on it, undermined his own credibility.
So, I do not know who or what to believe, truthfully. I do not really like or trust Judge Kavanaugh, but that does not mean that I have to believe, without a shred of doubt, that these accusations made against him are true. If they are, then not only should he not be on the Supreme Court, but he should be in jail, frankly. But it seems that many people on the left are absolutely convinced - no matter what he says - that he is indeed guilty. And many of those on the right are just as convinced that - no matter what he says - he is not guilty. At this point, nothing short of a complete refutation of the charges by Ford herself would convince Democrats that Kavanaugh is guilty of those charges, and some would surely continue to believe it even still. And the same applies to Kavanaugh. Only if he admits guilt, completely and utterly, will fans of Trump suddenly admit that he might be guilty, and even then, some would continue to disbelieve. Trump and his supporters, after all, are not big fans of facts. At least, not those that do not benefit them or their political agenda. So much is this the case, that they created "alternative facts."
Meanwhile, this whole process seems to have awakened how much sexism is a problem in this country. It has emboldened women, most of whom seem to feel that Kavanaugh is indeed guilty. He might be, but I think way too many women have automatically presumed him to indeed be guilty without even bothering to hear what he has to say about it. Funny, because I always thought that, at least officially, you are innocent until proven guilty, according to the law here in the United States. Yet, many, many people seem completely and utterly convinced that Kavanaugh is guilty, beyond a shadow of a doubt. I understand how repugnant Trump and his so-called governing style is, and how racist and sexist he is. I understand that Kavanaugh himself is a reflection of this, and I will admit that I do not agree with him on the vast majority of issue, and do not like him, simply because he seems like a judicial extension of Trump. But that does not mean that he is guilty of sexual assault, which is a very, very serious crime, and which should indeed be investigated by the FBI, or whoever could clear this matter up. Let's call this by what it is: intolerance of Kavanaugh as a man, based on his political ideology or leanings. He is guilty by association. If Trump is guilty of being a sexist, and possibly of assaulting women (and he very well may be), then surely Kavanaugh is, too. But whether or not you like Kavanaugh, it does not necessarily mean that he did what Ford claims that he did, especially when so many other people who were allegedly present cannot recall such an incident, and when other facts seem a bit...well, off. Kavanaugh asked some specific questions, such as how did Ford get to the house, who's house was it, how did she get home after the party? Whether or not you like Kavanaugh is irrelevant, these are serious questions that really should have been asked, either to confirm, or repute, the credibility of Ford. The fact that many of these pressing questions in this matter were not addressed, and that people who lean in favor of Democrats do not mind that, and presume Kavanaugh to be guilty, seems to smack of intolerance towards Kavanaugh as a man, rather than to what he stands for ideologically, or how good or serious a Supreme Court judge he would or would not make.
Yet, not to be outdone, those who lean more towards Republicans are equally determined to pretend to be interested in what Ford has to say, although they quite clearly seem not at all interested. Again, she made what seem like credible allegations. That is pretty disgusting on their part, and reveals a dismissive attitude towards women and their obvious concerns regarding sexual assault, dating back to at least Anita Hill's testifying before Congress back in 1991. So angry did that make many people, that it launched the so-called "Year of the Woman" politically in this country in 1992, as more women were voted into Congress than ever before. Democrats are hoping that these hearings might do the same for them in 2018, and some have even suggested as much. They continually claim that Republicans and their supporters are tone deaf when it comes to women's issues, and perhaps especially regarding sexual assault. A young man who gets drunk, as Kavanaugh is alleged to have done, is just a case of "boys being boys." But a woman who gets drunk, and gets pregnant, has to take responsibility, according to them and should not be allowed to get an abortion. And let us not forget that young black men who have not done anything wrong are often not viewed as boys, and Republicans continually suggest that police who killed such boys have to be forgiven. Such double-standards.
In fact, some Republicans are opposed to abortion even in the case of rape, and some Republicans have said some of the most ridiculous things regarding rape. Even worse, almost as if to prove the case that they are indeed tone deaf on this issue, a stunning poll recently revealed that a majority of Republicans did not feel that sexual assault should necessarily disqualify Kavanaugh from reaching the Supreme Court. Fully 55 percent of Republicans polled said that a proven case of sexual assault should not disqualify Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court. A little over a quarter of those polled - 27 percent - felt that it should, and 18 percent were not certain either way.
This is supposed to be about two people, absolutely swearing that they are telling the truth, and both telling completely different stories. Obviously, one of them is wrong, because they cannot both be right.
Instead, that seems to have been swept aside, and it is a battle of wills between to the two major parties and their supporters. Mostly, when you strip away everything else, it is about grabbing more power, and more privileges, on both sides. All of the moral outrage on both sides too often seems highly selective, and more posturing than anything else.
Stunning. The whole thing is utterly sickening.
I repeat: Sometimes, I don't understand what is happening in this country.
"Less than two weeks ago, Dr. Ford publicly accused me of committing wrongdoing at an event more than 36 years ago when we were both in high school. I denied the allegation immediately, categorically and unequivocally. All four people allegedly at the event, including Dr. Ford’s longtime friend, Ms. Keyser, have said they recall no such event. Her longtime friend, Ms. Keyser, said under penalty of felony that she does not know me and does not believe she ever saw me at a party ever. Here’s the quote from Ms. Keyser’s attorney’s letter. “Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present with or without Dr. Ford.'"
Now, don't get me wrong. I am no fan of Brett Kavanaugh. He is a Trump appointee, and so right away, he is suspect in my book. Trump is a joke of a so-called leader, and if this country were an actual democracy, he would not even be in the White House, because he lost the popular vote by nearly three million. Also, the Republicans blocked the nomination of Merrick Garland in 2016. In other words, the Democrats made political theater of this case in answer to the Republicans making not only a political show in 2016 by playing up the election and refusing to even consider Garland, but also neglected the Constitution of the United States in the process. Garland should at least have gotten a hearing and, frankly, he likely should be in the Supreme Court right now.
By the way, that was yet another instance of the Democrats folding to pressure by Republicans. That was not merely political strategy, but that was refusing to do their job, as defined by the Constitution. It also set up the whole trend of Trump and the Republicans taking far too many liberties with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights ever since, with the Democrats, predictably, putting up token "resistance."
The Republicans ground the process to a halt then, and then got the Supreme Court pick that they wanted after the death of Justice Scalia. Now, in an election year, they reversed course, wanting to rush the nomination of Kavanaugh before the election. As the Church Lady might once have said, "How convenient."
Of course, the Democrats cannot have that, because their own weakness and inadequacy as a real alternative to Trump and Trumpism would be too obvious. So now, about a month and change away from the election, they are making a political show of this whole thing. They sense Trump's weakness and vulnerability, that he really could be defeated in 2020 (although amazingly, with the Democrats, that is not a sure thing at all).
And so, they are putting themselves on prominent display, giving speeches and ramping up this whole resistance to the Kavanaugh nomination. Many of their supporters have already been convinced - well before the testimony by either Ford or Kavanaugh yesterday - that Kavanaugh is indeed guilty. Many Trump supporters were equally as convinced - again well before the testimony by either Ford or Kvanaugh yesterday - that Kavanaugh is innocent of all charges. There are more charges now, as three other women have come forth and made similar allegations against Kavanaugh.
Listening to the thing yesterday, I frankly could not even tell who to believe. Ford was convincing, but the lack of serious scrutiny, as well as the fact that those four people who Ford herself said were present stated that they remember no such incident, are more than a little troubling, and hardly seem to make this an open and shut case. Kavanaugh was fairly convincing during his opening statement as well, but the fact that he unequivocally welcomed any investigation during that statement, and then seemed incredibly hesitant towards the idea of an FBI investigation once he was pressed on it, undermined his own credibility.
So, I do not know who or what to believe, truthfully. I do not really like or trust Judge Kavanaugh, but that does not mean that I have to believe, without a shred of doubt, that these accusations made against him are true. If they are, then not only should he not be on the Supreme Court, but he should be in jail, frankly. But it seems that many people on the left are absolutely convinced - no matter what he says - that he is indeed guilty. And many of those on the right are just as convinced that - no matter what he says - he is not guilty. At this point, nothing short of a complete refutation of the charges by Ford herself would convince Democrats that Kavanaugh is guilty of those charges, and some would surely continue to believe it even still. And the same applies to Kavanaugh. Only if he admits guilt, completely and utterly, will fans of Trump suddenly admit that he might be guilty, and even then, some would continue to disbelieve. Trump and his supporters, after all, are not big fans of facts. At least, not those that do not benefit them or their political agenda. So much is this the case, that they created "alternative facts."
Meanwhile, this whole process seems to have awakened how much sexism is a problem in this country. It has emboldened women, most of whom seem to feel that Kavanaugh is indeed guilty. He might be, but I think way too many women have automatically presumed him to indeed be guilty without even bothering to hear what he has to say about it. Funny, because I always thought that, at least officially, you are innocent until proven guilty, according to the law here in the United States. Yet, many, many people seem completely and utterly convinced that Kavanaugh is guilty, beyond a shadow of a doubt. I understand how repugnant Trump and his so-called governing style is, and how racist and sexist he is. I understand that Kavanaugh himself is a reflection of this, and I will admit that I do not agree with him on the vast majority of issue, and do not like him, simply because he seems like a judicial extension of Trump. But that does not mean that he is guilty of sexual assault, which is a very, very serious crime, and which should indeed be investigated by the FBI, or whoever could clear this matter up. Let's call this by what it is: intolerance of Kavanaugh as a man, based on his political ideology or leanings. He is guilty by association. If Trump is guilty of being a sexist, and possibly of assaulting women (and he very well may be), then surely Kavanaugh is, too. But whether or not you like Kavanaugh, it does not necessarily mean that he did what Ford claims that he did, especially when so many other people who were allegedly present cannot recall such an incident, and when other facts seem a bit...well, off. Kavanaugh asked some specific questions, such as how did Ford get to the house, who's house was it, how did she get home after the party? Whether or not you like Kavanaugh is irrelevant, these are serious questions that really should have been asked, either to confirm, or repute, the credibility of Ford. The fact that many of these pressing questions in this matter were not addressed, and that people who lean in favor of Democrats do not mind that, and presume Kavanaugh to be guilty, seems to smack of intolerance towards Kavanaugh as a man, rather than to what he stands for ideologically, or how good or serious a Supreme Court judge he would or would not make.
Yet, not to be outdone, those who lean more towards Republicans are equally determined to pretend to be interested in what Ford has to say, although they quite clearly seem not at all interested. Again, she made what seem like credible allegations. That is pretty disgusting on their part, and reveals a dismissive attitude towards women and their obvious concerns regarding sexual assault, dating back to at least Anita Hill's testifying before Congress back in 1991. So angry did that make many people, that it launched the so-called "Year of the Woman" politically in this country in 1992, as more women were voted into Congress than ever before. Democrats are hoping that these hearings might do the same for them in 2018, and some have even suggested as much. They continually claim that Republicans and their supporters are tone deaf when it comes to women's issues, and perhaps especially regarding sexual assault. A young man who gets drunk, as Kavanaugh is alleged to have done, is just a case of "boys being boys." But a woman who gets drunk, and gets pregnant, has to take responsibility, according to them and should not be allowed to get an abortion. And let us not forget that young black men who have not done anything wrong are often not viewed as boys, and Republicans continually suggest that police who killed such boys have to be forgiven. Such double-standards.
In fact, some Republicans are opposed to abortion even in the case of rape, and some Republicans have said some of the most ridiculous things regarding rape. Even worse, almost as if to prove the case that they are indeed tone deaf on this issue, a stunning poll recently revealed that a majority of Republicans did not feel that sexual assault should necessarily disqualify Kavanaugh from reaching the Supreme Court. Fully 55 percent of Republicans polled said that a proven case of sexual assault should not disqualify Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court. A little over a quarter of those polled - 27 percent - felt that it should, and 18 percent were not certain either way.
This is supposed to be about two people, absolutely swearing that they are telling the truth, and both telling completely different stories. Obviously, one of them is wrong, because they cannot both be right.
Instead, that seems to have been swept aside, and it is a battle of wills between to the two major parties and their supporters. Mostly, when you strip away everything else, it is about grabbing more power, and more privileges, on both sides. All of the moral outrage on both sides too often seems highly selective, and more posturing than anything else.
Stunning. The whole thing is utterly sickening.
I repeat: Sometimes, I don't understand what is happening in this country.
Below are the links to the articles that I used in writing this blog entry, including any and all of the quotes used above:
5 key takeaways from the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing By CHEYENNE HASLETT Sep 27, 2018,
Brett Kavanaugh’s Opening Statement: Full Transcript published by The New York Times, September 27, 2018:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/politics/read-brett-kavanaughs-complete-opening-statement.html
SEXUAL ASSAULT SHOULD NOT DISQUALIFY KAVANAUGH IF PROVEN, MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS BELIEVE: POLL BY TIM MARCIN ON 9/27/18
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