Before we get to the Brett Kavanaugh updates, let’s take a moment to talk about Mario Kart and the character of Toad. I put this in the links yesterday because I really didn’t know what to say or how to cover it, but just suffice to say… there was a really gross reason for why “Mario Kart” was trending on Twitter all day. Stormy Daniels has written a book, and the Guardian got an advanced copy. Stormy describes the size and shape of Donald Trump’s pen1s. “Like a toadstool” is all I’ll say. You can read more here.
So, Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to be the new justice on the Supreme Court. Trump nominated him because everyone thought Kavanaugh was just a run-of-the-mill misogynist, someone who otherized and penalized women for being women, someone who thought women were subhuman and less equal citizens than men. Well, he’s all those things. He’s probably also a sexual assailant as well. Professor Christine Blasey Ford has come forward to say that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her when she was just 15 years old and he was 17.
What’s happened in the past six days has been nothing short of infuriating. The GOP has already ratcheted up a smear campaign against Professor Ford. They want both Ford and Kavanaugh to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next Monday, and ONLY them. There was a witness/participant in Kavanaugh’s assault on Ford, a man named Mark Judge, and he came out yesterday to say he would not testify and cannot recall the incident. And the Republicans are just going with his version too, like they’re hellbent on making this “he said/she said” even though they could and should also call on Ford’s therapist and friends, whom she told about the assault years ago.
Ford is already going through hell – she’s had to move her family out of their home and into an undisclosed location. She’s getting death threats and the GOP propaganda machine is working overtime to smear her name. The media camped outside her house when her name came out too. She’s said, through her lawyer, that she would be open to testifying before the committee, but last night her lawyer said that Professor Ford wants to testify only after the FBI conducts a more thorough background check and investigation of Kavanaugh. That’s what Anita Hill wants too, but the White House – no shock – refuses to authorize the FBI’s investigation.
Vanity Fair did a story in the past 12 hours about what’s happening in the White House and why Trump is somewhat quiet about Kavanaugh. I mean, Trump did say something – he expressed sympathy for Kavanaugh and his family, and no sympathy for Prof. Ford. But Trump has been eerily quiet about it on Twitter. Sources tell VF that Ivanka is whispering in her father’s ear, something about how they need to dump Kavanaugh and start over with another nominee. Trump also has his suspicions of Kavanaugh anyway, but not because of Kavanaugh’s misogyny – Trump is suspicious because he thinks Kavanaugh is a “Bush guy” and too “establishment.”
So many are wondering if the Republican senators are going to cut bait on Kavanaugh too, because they know the optics are bad – the GOP only has white dudes on the Judiciary Committee, so it would look like what it is: a bunch of old, out-of-touch white men bullying Professor Ford during her testimony, if she ever does testify. Reportedly, those Republican senators are considering using their female staffers to “question” Professor Ford if she does testify. It won’t matter. The gender gap in the midterm election is still going to be *INTENSE*.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
The leak for the VF story about Nagini is Nagini herself, trying to polish her tarnished image. She also set her daughter up for to be papped, in her nightgown, for the Daily Fail. I doubt very much Ivanka has any concerns about what Kavanaugh would do to women once on the Supremes. Her concern is about how it affects her brand.
great connection, I didn’t put the pieces together.
Before people respond with this, I’ll say – OF COURSE not every rich privileged white male rapes girls/women. so fine fine #notallmen whatever.
But many of us are nodding at our head at this accusation. “of course.” If you know rich guys who went to schools like Georgetown Prep, then you know this is a credible allegation. EVEN MORE SO in the 80s when there was very little likelihood of a victim coming forward and “boys will be boys” was so rampant. (I would like to say that things have changed…but well….see other story about Bryan Singer.)
so I completely believe Professor Ford. 2 years ago, prior to MeToo, I would have said this wouldn’t have made a difference. I mean, Trump won the presidency, Access Hollywood tape and all. But I’m kind of hopeful that things are different now. Not really different, not extremely different, but just different enough for this to matter.
Yes, agree with your comment that many women are nodding their heads. I was doing that very thing when Rachel Maddow ran part of Anita Hill’s testimony from the Clarence Thomas hearings. She rang so genuine and I know I’m not the only woman out there who has experienced the exact same thing in the workplace. Yet, we know what happened.
Bottom line, the GOP, aka deplorables, are horrible people.
I will never ever forget the Anita Hill inquisition. Never. I cried throughout. To this day, I can recall images of those men aligned against her and her unbelievable courage in the face of it. My God. Deja vu all over again. It’s a bigger trigger than I expected. #whohasn’t
There was a recent documentary that showed this again. And again I felt the anger and the outrage that I felt then. I seriously doubt there is a woman alive that hasn’t experience some sexual harassment/abuse in some point in her life. THIS HAS TO STOP!
As to that POS Kavanaugh, I’d like to ask him: YOU have daughters. If some high school boys do this same kind of “rough horseplay” as the GOP is calling it now, how will you feel about THAT? Will it still be “horseplay”?? “Boys will just be boys”? “What happens in HS, STAYS in HS”??
What will YOUR response be THEN, you a$$wipe??
@Jan90067 — I feel your rage, too. What really infuriates me is WHY do we have to turn the mirror on men with daughters and ask them to equate? “Rough horseplay,” is still an admission, ffs.
I agree with you about that admission, C-Shell.
Also in a perfect world, BOTH parents would sit their boys down and tell them that THIS SH!T DOESN”T FLY! YOU DO NOT TOUCH ANOTHER PERSON W/OUT THEIR PERMISSION. YOU DO NOT SEXUALLY FORCE ANYONE, EVER!
But yeah, no… these “men”, and I use the term loosely, feel it’s their right to take whatever they want because they were brought up to feel that the world owes them everything and anything, and to just take it.
Jan—no, no, no. Guys like Kavanaugh think their daughters are “good girls” who would never let themselves be raped. If something did happen, they would cover it up … but victim-blame their daughters forever.
I believed Anita Hill completely at the time. Everything people said against her could be countered with what professional women have to do all the time. I had to keep quiet about a lot of crap because no one would believe me anyway and would just tell me I was imagining it or overreacting. The only ones who knew different were other women who were in the appropriate target category because they had the same experiences, but there weren’t that many around and none in a position of power (mostly the secretaries…). I had to pretend everything was just fine just like she did. Guys like Thomas could make or break a career just by casually dropping little things in conversation and spreading false rumors. When the FBI came calling, fortunately she had tenure. But even so, one of her state’s Senators tried to get her fired after her testimony.
Ford’s story seems credible and not exaggerated. Over 200 women from her school have signed a statement supporting her, and have said that there was a culture at Kavanaugh’s prep school promoting exactly that kind of behavior and that other girls had similar experiences with those preppies. (Major fail for the people running the school, but not all that unusual in other schools.)
But judging from my own experiences, there was not a culture supporting women actually revealing such incidents at the time. Doing or saying anything would cause even more trouble for the woman. Look at what she is going through now, in 2018. It’s still a very hostile environment for ordinary women who speak up. Celebrities are typically more shielded by wealth and position.
I don’t know if it was a pattern for Kavanaugh or a one-time thing, but even drunk he would have known how wrong it was. Locking the door, covering her mouth so she couldn’t scream – he knew she was resisting and wanted him to stop and that he was doing something very very wrong. Roughhousing? If boys think it just harmless roughhousing when you interfere with a girl’s breathing and grind against her and try to remove all her clothing in a locked room – they need to be kept on a leash and under adult supervision at all times.
He may actually be worried now about the fact that Maryland has no expiration date on such charges – theoretically, if he admits to it (or not), he could be charged as well as saying goodbye to his career. The best solution would be for him to withdraw from the nomination. Between this and the blatant perjury about other things, he really is putting himself in legal jeopardy. Lawyers get into big trouble with licensing organizations for perjury, just ask Bill Clinton.
Ford told a friend that now she always has to have two exits from a bedroom or else she feels trapped. These experiences have long-term consequences for the person assaulted.
If the GOP rams his appt through and I suspect they will, I would like Maryland AG to file charges. It would be great if they file and he’s hauled out of the Supreme Court.
I’ve watched some of his testimony and he smacks of lying (see the you gotta tell me which attorneys work in that firm segment and the dumb look he has on his face everything someone asks him a hard question).
Attorneys and judges have a somewhat incestuous relationship. They all socialize at legal events. All the judges know who works for who.
A few yars ago I’d have said “my republican Co-worker”, but today I’ll say “my deplorable coWorker” had her #metoo inclusion after talking like a “boys will be boys” cool girl for years. Her landlord was inappropriate and after she rebuffed him he made her life hell, even threatening to sue when she came forward w allegations. No woman is exempt from historical power imbalance abuse- and this case needs to have bi-partisan support for a proper FBI investigation vs another ugly inquisition.
The stuff that came out about the culture of his school, including horrific yearbook quotes, was very telling. As was the TAPE from 2015 where Kavanaugh said “What happens at GP stays at GP, luckily for us,” or something along those lines.
If it wasn’t clear by how he treated the Parkland dad that he is an elitist scumbag, hopefully it is now.
I also tend to be slightly hopeful that his nomination might be scrapped. Slightly. He deserves to go down.
Indeed, considering what has come out about him – perjury and now this, even if the SCOTUS nom goes away his career as a judge is over.
The bitter pessimist in me wants to point out that being an “elitist scumbag” in no way disqualifies him in the eyes of the GOP.
Honestly, I’m wary of any man who is adamantly anti-choice/BC. From the start, you’re telling me you think it’s acceptable for other people to have control over a woman’s body. Why should I think that wouldn’t extend to sexual assault? The fact that he’s wealthy and privileged in a dozen other ways just heightens my perception of his sense of entitlement to anything and everything.
This completely. It’s not a stretch to think that being anti-choice and not respecting women’s bodily autonomy (including our sexual boundaries) go hand-in-hand.
This POS told a 17 year old girl who wanted an abortion that “What you do at 17 will have consequences for the rest of your life”, and she had to be pregnant a month longer than she needed to be.
So, you scummy a$$wipe (yes, I love using this word for this POS), why is it different for you? You’re not a young hispanic girl? What YOU did at 17 should have consequences for the rest of YOUR life!
God………aren’t the republicans are absolute geniuses at gaming the system. No witnesses on either side? No investigation? What are they afraid of? That other women might crawl out of the woodwork now that they won’t be all alone in the wilderness of right wing hatred?
(By the way, with regards to the 65 women who signed on saying Kavanaugh didn’t rape them, if I had a democratic SuperPac, I would arrange a rally with 65 people wearing tee shirts saying “Charles Manson never murdered me!”.)
The Dems need to push this as hard as they possibly can. Ring the bells, sound the alarms, scream and shout from the rooftops at the *corruption* of the republicans forcing a potential sexual predator on to the Supreme Court with no investigation.
Donald Trumps unusual restraint in handling the rhetoric around this candidate tells me that he’s *desperate* to have Brett Kavanaugh. As the walls close in on him with Cohen and now Manafort obviously flipping on him, his best chance of beating off what could turn out to be jail time, is to place an ally/mole in the Supreme Court. One who has shown a character almost as dubious as Trump – the unflinching lies under oath; refusing to shake a gun victims fathers hand, the ruthless moves under the Bush administration and now, possible sexual assault.
(Tin foil hat on….)
Considering he wasn’t in the initial list of potential nominees, I’ve been wondering to myself if Kavanaugh put himself forward by approaching Trump or his allies to remind them of his firm belief in shielding a sitting president against investigation. (He’ll probably also turn out to be lenient towards erroneous charges of “collusion”).
His body language, cold, clear steely eyed determination and unflinching lies (even under oath) tell me this is an extremely ambitious and ruthless man. He probably saw his once in a life time chance (no normal President would risk a nominee this problematic under normal circumstances, I don’t think) and pounced and now, here we are.
My prediction is the republicans will jam him through, public outcry be damned.
As of yesterday afternoon, 63 of the 65 women have retracted their statements. Grassley never told them why he wanted their names.
Wow, really? These people are such crooks, it takes my breathe away.
I don’t think your theory is outlandish at all. By all accounts Mitch McConnell knew he’d be a messy candidate and that’s why he wasn’t on the original lists. I could believe Kavanaugh approached the Trump people. Interesting how his debt was suddenly paid off, too. He’s a craven, cold creep.
@Lightpurple Where did you read that? Thats incredible! Grassley LIED to them? What a surprise.
As someone who graduated from an all girls prep school in the early 90s… yep. I ran with the “partiers” and am now horrified thinking about the whole scene. So much drinking, so much “hooking up” that crossed many, many lines. And the boys from our “brother schools?” Such entitled a-holes. I still live in the same area and run into those guys and they are just… the worst.
I am so mad, I could cry. Her story is compelling and believable and these sexist old white men tell her “Monday or we confirm.” And they are trying to dig up dirt on her and she fled her home in fear for her life.
#MeToo hasn’t really changed a thing, has it? These Mother-fers, I want to just scream. And Trump today, didn’t even use her name. Called her “she” three times. I do think if she doesn’t testify MOnday, she gives them an excuse to move forward – a BS excuse, but it does give them a way out.
God, I hate these men so so much. I am 56 and nothing feels different than the Anita Hill days.
If anything, it’s worse in many ways. The hyperpartisan nature of current politics mean that the Republican senators feel they barely need to make any pretense of an “investigation,” and the Internet has normalized baying mobs of lunatic strangers stalking people who threaten the misogynist status quo. The only upside is that the Internet and social media have also enabled women all over the country to voice their stories, to hear each other, and to organize. In the unlikely event that Kavanaugh’s nomination is withdrawn, or the even more unlikely event that the nomination fails to pass in the vote of the full Senate, it will be purely because internal polling caused Republican leadership to think that pressing ahead will cost them the Senate in the midterms. I am not hopeful. I am, however, filled with rage that keeps me awake at night.
women who come forward & report in real time are still pilloried, especially if the man in question is popular, rich/well connected and, of course, “has a bright future ahead of him.” We still see that, even in cases where there are witnesses, forensic evidence and even an admission of guilt so it is no wonder why women don’t make public declarations until they are faced with a very compelling reason & are sure they have the strength and support of their family to deal with the hell that will reign down on them
That said, as a middle class, white woman, I do not really trust middle class white women to check their privilege & whatever perceptions of safety that gives them when it comes to voting this year (I was greatly disappointed by how they voted for Trump)
Republicans are just making sure 95 percent of women are going to vote Democrats all the way through this November.
In fact, Republicans are in a real lose-lose situation and it serves them right.
If the don’t confirm Kavanaugh, their racist and sexist base will be furious and probably wont vote this November.
If they do confirm him then the rest of 70 percent of the population will come out in such a massive way to vote Blue that Republicans May even lose the Senate.
And once Democrats gets both House and Senate, they can still impeach Kavanaugh for perjury and get him fired.
I sure hope you are right. It seems to me they keep doing awful horrible things…. but then they also keep winning. I know they’ve rigged the game, but there still are a lot of people that will never vote democrat. I just don’t get it
Maya…White women (especially over 50), with middle class incomes but minimal education are still voting for Trump, at least in my red area of blue CA. There’s too many ladies like this drinking the FOX news koolaid.
Exactly and they buy everything the GOP says, hook, line and sinker. It’s sad, but true.
And some wealthy white women that ARE educated will vote GOP no matter what because taxes. Even if they only get to keep .01% more of their income in their pockets, it’s enough for them to say, “screw everybody else, I want a new purse and I will not give that up so starving children can eat.” And these women are also brainwashed by Faux news. I know a couple of them personally and they disgust me. And there is no reasoning with them, they are just greedy a-holes that don’t care.
I know several college educated, six-figure income working women who have admitted voting for Orange. One told me she prayed for him to win. I cannot rationalize it, other than the mentality that gop = anti-abortion. And less taxes.
Sadly, I know women like this, too. Wealthy, and come from wealth, so… tax breaks. More $$$$ (enough is NEVER enough). In EVERY OTHER INSTANCE they are lovely women… except they voted for Trump. They do charity work, they give back in many ways, they don’t support pretty much everything else about him, but taxes. It’s very hard to reconcile.
@ By the Sea
I don’t think these women or people for that matter are that stupid. They KNOW what Donald Trump is, the evidence is far too overwhelming.
But the genius of Fox News and the right wing machinery is they work night and day to produce fig leaves. Ie, barely logical reasons why you should still support a despicable person or notion.
It doesn’t even have to be too believable, just enough for you to be able to dig your heels in and stand behind an evil, racist, sexual predator who cages babies. Eg, the deep state is after him.
No, Bella, most of them are stupid. Even the greedy rich ones. Because they’re screwing themselves, and they don’t realize it.
I’m from Central Valley farmland in CA…. and all the Trumpster’s I know are just not intelligent. At all. No critical thinking skills, and no ability to fact check. I’m a critical thinking teacher and I all the signs of poor logical skills. In the case of most of them, it’s simply lack of education; they think education promotes the liberal LGBTQ+ agenda. Because they’re fools. Brainwashed fools They aren’t educated because they take pride in not needing it. But they need it badly cause they’re ruining their own lives.
The genius of Fox News is their ability to take advantage of the dumb. Intelligent people don’t fall for their nonsense. Feel free to fight me on this, but you simply don’t get brainwashed if you are using your brain. Period.
I wish that were true, but there are plenty of very stupid women out there with a lot of internalized misogyny.
Yup. And racism, don’t forget the racism.
Buzzfeed’s headline on their storyline made me laugh so hard I snorted and startled my cats:
“Stormy Daniels Said Trump’s Dick Looks Like Toad From Mario Kart And People Poured Bleach In Their Own Eyes”
I don’t think they’re going to give up on Kavanaugh – the GOP has too much riding on this guy and if they cut him loose before the mid-terms, they run too big a risk of losing their majority and thus, their chance at stacking the deck in the SC. They want that BAD. I think what we’ll see is them dragging her over the coals over and over again in hopes of pressuring her into giving up (and of course, punishing her for being a woman speaking out against a conservative white man) and offering sweet deals to any Republican wavering on him and then he’ll get confirmed right before the election. I think for the GOP it would be a “lost the battle, but won the war” type of deal.
Also, money. Somebody, or perhaps multiple people, have forked out a lot of cash to get this guy in. They will not walk away sans money and sans Kavanaugh and be happy about it. These mobsters (Kochs? Mercers? Russians?) will get what they paid for or there will be hell to pay.
I suspect they will cancel the hearing and vote him out of committee as planned on Thursday. Trump thinks having him on the court will protect him from indictment. No way he doesn’t get through.
I think unfortunately you are right.
My hope is Kavanaugh drops out. His wife, kids, famiy somehow or another get thru to his heart and he finally does the right thing. However, I don’t have much faith in this option either because…gambling debts.
They’ve tried to smear Ford by saying Kavenaugh’s mom was the judge that forclosed Ford’s family ‘s house, iirc. It’s not working in general…but they aren’t letting go yet. Just my prediction.
Btw, I love how Ford countered Kavenaugh’s list of references with her own. Stand your ground, professor.
And no way is Trump wanting to get rid of Kavenaigh and nominate someone else. Kavenaugh is the only candidate who’s going to back him when he tries to stop Mueller using SCOTUS.
Nagini knows this;she ain’t trying to stop it. But she wants you to think she is.
Kudos to Dr. Ford for refusing to play by the patriarchy’s rules.
The horrible thing is, she and her attorney have been getting death threats. I read this morning that she has gone into hiding to protect her son.
Ford didn’t initiate letter for signatures. A Holton-Arms alumnae started the letter. Julia Louis Dreyfus was one of the 24 who signed.
Indiana Joanna- thanks for the correction. Didn’t see that part. I’m trying not to read too much on this as it’s enraging.
Dr. Ford is so strong. She said before going public that she was hesitant because she knew that she would be publicly eviscerated and that it would be all for naught and Kavanaugh would be nominated anyway. There is literally NOTHING in this for her, but that won’t stop the Deplorables from deplorable-ing. And of course, this is nothing objectionable to the GOP. Just more rape accusations- nothing to see here, move along…
Off-topic but I had a really vivid sex dream about Mueller last night. But he was like, young Mueller from his army days, not current Mueller. I just had to get that off my chest lol. It was a pretty good dream too. 😉
Hahaha – he was kinda hot when he was a young man in the Marines.
He’s still pretty hot, in a Sam Waterston kind of way. Sexy Zayde (Jewish for Grandpa) 😊
Hope all my fellow Jewish CBers have an easy fast today (if you’re fasting), and a Happy New Year!
Well, that dream is far better than dreaming about a certain mushroom guy, at any age. (This post was the first time I heard about Stormy’s descriptions, and I fear for my dreams now. Last week I dreamed about a very normal Tom Cruise, which was actually rather fun.)
@ Kitten
A sex dream??!!! Ughhh. You’re so lucky. I’ve been having the most random, vivid nightmares recently of being chased around by gangsters, and a few days ago, a massive shark!
I would pay *good* cash 💰💰💰to exchange with you any day!
Haha I’d be happy with a dream about him the age he is now tbh. 😉
After reading more about him and listening to some of his speeches, something about Mueller reminds me of my husband and I second this attraction.
After reading that “toadstool” story,I will never be able to look at mushrooms or watch “ Finding Bigfoot or Alice in Wonderland “ without laughing or getting nauseous. Some Yeti in the Himalayas is probably looking to sue Stormi Daniels
I’ve always liked mushrooms and thought the abominable snowman (holiday movie version) was cute. Thanks a lot , Stormy!
See, for me this is just another reason to hate mushrooms. Always knew they were evil. .\/.
Mushrooms themselves aren’t cute, and I guess they aren’t really tasty. But they are nutritious, and then there is pizza. But yeah, this is strong evidence for the ‘shroom haters.
Well, just switch over to those really big portobello mushroom caps that you can fry up like burgers….
Out of one side of their mouths repubs are crying how they really wanted to hear her, and aren’t we all so fair..out of the other is ‘she’s just confused’..of course, we’re privileged old men who know best. This is not a court of law and the same criteria do not apply, so why not ask him to take a lie detector too? Never gonna happen..they’ll say she was just a lefty troublemaker or she’d be there..and they’ll get their way again. I’m so sick of women not being believed, and sick of victims being blamed for not having ‘proof’.
And they’re all attacking Diane Feinstein despite the fact that Grassley knew as long as she did and Grassley’s, who is in charge of what goes on in that committee, compiled that ridiculous list of 65 (lied to those women to do it) in case Feinstein broke free of his rules, and tried to squelch the thing completely.
Does anyone know WHEN these 65 women were contacted? I can’t find an answer to that I feel it’s really relevant.
That tool Lindsey Graham (boy, do I want to know what the Russians have on HIM… little boys in the closet, Lindsay??) is talking about “who paid her $300 for the lie detector test”… I want to know who made KavaNO’s $200K debt disappear? Who paid the $1.2M mortgaged on his house? Where does he get this money when he made $220K/year as a judge? What about HIS gambling habits?? His temper?? What he knew about that judge he worked for that was fired/indicted (can’t remember which) for sexual harassment?? WHAT ABOUT ALL THIS???
THIS! The dems need to start making a bigger deal of his finances. It’s all so shady.
They’re not going to give up on this guy. He is everything the evangelical hardcore—who fund much of the GOP—have dreamed of. He’s the reason so many GOP legislators are so spineless concerning Trump’s many ludicrous actions. They hate Trump, but they’re going to ride him as far as they can to get their main agenda item accomplished. If they can just get this lock on the SCOTUS for the next 20 or so years, then they can declare victory, sit back, and let the Dems clean up the Trump mess after the midterms. Assuming we still have a country to clean up by then.
Toad did not deserve that treatment. I protest.
As for Kavanaugh, I’m not holding out hope. He’ll make it onto SCOTUS. If so, I fear for women (reproductive rights) and I fear for the nation. I already live in a state with some of the worst gerrymandering and voter restrictions in the country, and the GOP is going to send that nationwide if they can, because they know they are growing outnumbered.
Oh, God. My husband tries to avoid all things Trump. Yesterday he kept asking “Why is everyone talking about Toad?” Me: “Don’t ask. Just don’t.” “But it’s all over Twitter–” “YOU. DON’T. WANT. TO. KNOW.”
And Kavanaugh’s going to get rammed through. Getting clobbered in the midterms won’t bother the Republicans nearly as much if they have a stacked Supreme Court for decades.
Kavanaugh is a bad guy. His drinking, debts, gambling issues, this sexual assault and his lying under oath are enough to scream that he is unfit for a lifetime appointment to the SCOTUS.
He seems to be part of a sexual assault culture right up to his adult life. He was a clerk for Judge Kozinski who was forced to resign after several complaints of sexual harassment for years including Kavanaugh’s time as a clerk. His buddy Mark Judge, who to this day follows around teenage girls and posts their photographs, wrote several disgusting comments about women in high school.
Kavanaugh is a bad guy bought and paid for by Pence and his ultraconservatives.
All of this. Not to mention he’s been a GOP operative who eagerly helped advance all kinds of conspiracy theories, such as Hillary killing Vince Foster. He’s just terrible, the worst. It’s so infuriating and discouraging.
I’m Canadian, and I only know about Kozinski from following author Courtney Milan – she clerked for him too and he’s one of the main reasons she left the legal profession. She has a write-up on her website of her time clerking with Kozinski and she has been tweeting about some of the Kozinski-Kavanaugh stuff too. These kinds of men all look out for each other.
Wow didn’t know this. He really is an abhorrent person–why the GOP adores him.
All I’m going to say is that Kozinski was notorious as being skeevy. About 20 years ago, the Judiciary started quietly monitoring internet usage and bagged a few employees looking at porn in the work place. Kozinski (thou protest too much) wrote a big op ed about invasion of privacy and pretty much made stink about internet spying (google and you will find that article) that the judiciary gave up monitoring.
A few years afterwards, he got in trouble for hosting a server with really questionable graphics. I’ve never seen it but it made the news then too. He claimed it was his son’s. Sure.
So when the law clerk thing blew open no one was really surprised. The fact that good ole Brett worked under him wouldn’t surprise me that he is fine with what the boss does. Kozinski quit before any resolution came out of the investigation against him.
In a normal world they would let him go and move on. But I don’t think there is time to nominate a new guy before November (can anyone confirm that?) and they really want this before the midterms so they are going to hold on till the bitter end. Not to smear the amazing love of a mother orca but I’m thinking of trump swimming around with the lifeless corpse of Kavanagh’s career for weeks. Best case the Republicans spend some time doing more damage to their relationship with women and then realize he’s a lost cause, or even better force a vote that they loose. What I fear is that this does not matter and his smirking dough face will be looking at us from the bench for 30 years.
I know you shouldn’t judge a book by his cover but Kavanaugh has always looked smarmy to me you know the “Mister nice guy type who is not .His body language and facial expressions also screamed dishonest especially during Kamala Harriss’s questioning .
He will still be appointed sadly enough
He does look and act like a bad person trying to halfway act decent. The look on his face as a slain teen’s father tried to shake his hand sums up who he really is, IMO.
YUP… that showed his core to the world (I couldn’t say “soul: because this SOB doesn’t have one apparently).
Yeah he is really two-faced in the most literal sense. One second his face will be a fake, smarmy, smug-ass smile and the next second he will have the coldest glare. The deceit and evilness just oozes out of him.
Let us also not forget that Kavanaugh is young and the GOP desperately wants to stack the court with young conservatives because they know Trump has irreparably damaged their brand with the majority of voters. They see that they’re dying. They’re getting the courts locked so they won’t feel it too soon.
He perjured himself multiple times at these hearings. If the DEMS take over, the first thing they should do is charge him. No one says a Supreme Court appt is for life if it involves moral turpitude.
And yes Article III judges can be impeached. Look Up USDC Judge Robert Aguilar. There was another one in Texas that got the boot for sexually harassing his courtroom deputy.
I don’t think Trump will let Kavanaugh go because Bretty is the one who has basically said that the president shouldn’t be subject to laws.
In August of this year audio was leaked of Devin Nunes at another’s pol’s fundraiser. In it he said that the plan was get Kavanaugh confirmed and then impeach Rosenstein, force Sessions out and end the Mueller investigation. So this isn’t so much about abortion – I legit don’t think trump cares about that and likely regards abortion as an important tool in the cheating man’s handbook – this is about Trump wanting to avoid the law. Kennedy had his clerks hired. Kavanaugh’s debt magically disappeared – twice, to the tune of $400,000. Kennedy’s son was also Donald’s banker at Deutsche Bank after no American Bank would loan to him. So nothing, and I mean NOTHING about this is on the up and up.
Dear God if this is true and there is legit audio, then Mueller needs to request an indictment against Nunes for obstruction of justice. ASAP. I’m sure Mueller is 3 steps ahead of this shambolic mess. If Nunes goes down, I will bring ALL the champaign. That man is scum.
^^^^^THIS!!!
I’m betting Kavanaugh calls his wife Mother like some other guy I know.
Beware that the “presidential” alert coming tomorrow, directly to your phone, from Emperor Zero may be a “fungus” pic of his tiny junk in an attempt to dispel the rumors courtesy of Stormy Daniels.
Ugh. The only way this guy doesn’t make it through to SCOTUS will be if about 30 more women come forward with allegations. Even then, I would not be surprised if he made it through. One only needs to look at Anita Hill’s history and it’s apparent that nothing has changed.
On a side note: Please stay healthy and strong, RBG…
And if anyone is curious why rape victims stay silent, Professor Ford’s current situation is an excellent example of why.
EXACTLY
This guy is as bad as they come.
Why did he need to spend like nine hours at the white house yesterday? Were they figuring out what to do about the gambling payoffs and his other debauchery?
There’s a blurb he put in his high school yearbook that I believe refers to a sick way to do drugs. I’m not sure I can write it here – “have you b###ed yet?” I don’t know why media hasn’t picked that up. If they do he should be toast.
Marjorie, I am about the same age as this nasty guy. The word that was written in the yearbook at that time/year was slang for anal s*x.
We’re high school administrators just completely asleep at the wheel in the 80s, or just as these posh schools? Did none of these cretins’ parents know what their kids were up to?
Sarah Lieabee received a security detail because she was kicked out of a restaurant, so why isn’t Mrs Ford receiving any protection? In addition to being stalked by reporters and getting death threats, her account was hijacked. The fact that she is being harassed is enough reason for the FBI to investigate first.
The smear campaign against her isn’t limited to just republicans, some hosts like Chris C and some Democrats were going on about how unfair this all is to Brett and his family. On Chris Hayes, a Democratic woman who worked with Brett claimed that Mrs Ford’s story wasn’t valid because there are no other women coming forward with the same experiences. If there were no other incidents of Brett attacking women, Chuck G wouldn’t have gone through so much to hide Brett’s paper trail from the Democrats. The republicans claim that they did many background checks on Brett and that nothing came up, but I don’t think that this is true. I think that there are more victims and Chuck G and the republicans are fully aware that he has other victims.
The republicans are being ridiculous, especially Lindsay Graham. What do the Russians have on him because he spends every waking moment doing the Dotard’s bidding? The republicans and hosts(Joe S) want Mrs Ford to have a public hearing, after they already made up their minds, did several interviews bragging about how they don’t believe her, and stated that they are still going to confirm Brett even after speaking to her.
Does Brett have connections to Russia? This is what the press really should be asking. Every time Chuck and Lindsay do their interview rounds, the press needs to just ask them if they have ties to Russia.
VF source is Ivanka. Kelly leaks to Ashley Parker and writes op-eds (notice how the WH has stopped talking about finding the source?) and Ivanka leaks to Gabe. Since Emily wrote that glowing book about the Trumps, I thought that she would leak to her. Maybe Ivanka doesn’t like Emily anymore because Emily’s source is Micheal Cohen. What is the real reason Ivanka wants Brett gone because there is no way she is doing this because she supports Mrs Ford.
Is there not one adult in this administration who will do the right thing?
To answer your last question: No.
“What is the real reason Ivanka wants Brett gone”
Ivanka doesn’t want Brett gone. She just wants people to think she wants Brett gone.
They aren’t dumping him. They are doubling down this morning. Professor Ford rightly asked for an FBI investigation, which even Anita Hill got before she was railroaded by the Judicial Committee. At least there was something to base the questions on. They’ve refused, meaning this is literally he said-she said, played out before a national audience. Grassley said if she doesn’t show up Monday, that’s it. Even Flake and Corker, who made noises about her being heard are already backing down, saying well if she doesn’t show we can proceed. As though being invited into a known trap and refusing to step into it is some kind of great invitation she would only refuse if she was lying! It’s all so corrupt and so sad it’s beyond belief. But anyone wondering how they were going to do it, skate this one through, this is how. Deliver an offer no victim in their right mind would take and then when she refuses it, say, well, she refused so we’re free to move along and it’s all her fault and not ours. And people fall for that crap and that’s why they keep getting away with it.
Yes, that’s the analysis I made to. It’s a big game of chicken, and if she refuses to show, they’ll say she had nothing to say.
All this talk about “hearing her out” is BS and has nothing to do with
the seeking of truth and justice. She’s been ‘heard’ by her husband, friends and therapist. She wanted only to contribute to an accurate assessment of the character of the nominee.
It’s all so disgusting.
Everything you need to know about their culture growing up is summed up in one of Mark Judge’s (the guy who was in the room with them) senior yearbook quotes: “Some women are like gongs and should be struck regularly. -Noel Coward.”
He chose it, nobody on the yearbook staff blinked an eye before running that, and now we’re meant to believe they were all perfect Boy Scouts. And that’s the culture Dr. Blasey and I grew up in.
Such good “Catholic” boys.
Toad in the hole has been slagging sessions off in the press again – deflection from what? This mess or upcoming action from Mueller?
I hope the Dems keep the pressure up and get an FBI investigation – am glad Prof Ford is sticking to her guns about it. At some point #ToadintheHole will turn on him too.
I will never understand the need to threaten victims in cases like this. The koolaid drinkers are so cowardly.
I hope she remains safe and strong.
I believe her!
I went to an all girl Catholic HS in the 80’s with our “brother” school right next door. The drinking, sex and drugs were alive and well. I have zero problems believing Dr. Forde. I personally know girls who were assaulted, although then we didn’t call it that…it was just boys being boys and brushed aside. No one would have dared called it out for fear of being a social pariah.
I have no doubt many women look back at their young lives and see it all through a very different lens now.
i went to a catholic high school in the early 2000s, we had a “brother” school too. The guys were horrid, misogynists – the stories I heard from my friends who actually interacted with them are awful. I refused to ever socialise with them after one bad first incident. i have zero problems believe Dr Ford.
There is a woman who posted a story on Facebook confirming she went to the same girls school as Ford and knew kavanaugh and Judge and that she was aware of the attack against Ford when it happened. She says she was a year ahead of Ford. She’s put her name to the FB post so hopefully they can investigate this. According to her, it was known at the school that Kavanaugh had tried to rape Ford. If they can interview people who can also confirm this, it certainly shows Kavanaugh’s denial as a complete lie.
I believe Dr. Ford. I was sexually assaulted by a 15 year old boy when I was 14. I’m in my 40s now. Recently, I found out he was fired for sexual misconduct at his workplace. He was a rising star in a small field. He will never work again!!!! I felt… triumphant. Also, terrible, because if I had come forward when I was 14 (I didn’t tell anyone for a decade) would he have been punished and chastised enough to change his narcissistic and predatory personality?
Anyway, all that is to say: good on her for coming forward. Because a teenager who assaults becomes an adult who assaults.
Even if this was a one time thing, which is doubtful, a man on the supreme court who did this, then lies, should not wield this type of power. She did take a lie detector test. With as much as I’ve heard so far, I believe her too.
At this point, it will be a miracle if justice is done. A freakin’ miracle.
People are arguing that since it happened when he was 17 he shouldn’t be held accountable. What are we teaching our teenage boys then?
Easy. That their lives are more important than girls–no matter what.
#me too, Thank you all for this forum. I think that the following commentators are fantastic: Bella DuPont, JAN90067,AANG, BETSY& MARJORIE.
I have only written 3? posts, but have always thought that this site has the most coherent, thoughtful & rational commentators. This subject is hard for #me too, but this a pivotal time for women & for our Country as well. Again, thank you all commentators for doing a job that I am not emotionally equipped to deal with.
Hugs to you, Greta G. Know we’re “here” for you! ❤️
Thank you so much🤗
Thank you so very much❤️
According to Politico, increasingly, it looks like Kavanaugh, aw, fuck it, a pox on every Republican’s house.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/19/trump-bullish-about-kavanaugh-survival-829990
I 100% believe Prof Ford. Everything she says and does is so recognizable to anyone who’s suffered versions of this shit.
I’m so done carrying the burden of shame for something that was not my fault. I’m 53 and I’m posting the names on FB of my older male cousins who ‘experimented’ on me when I was too little to know better. Guess that will kill proposed family reunions. Or at least I’ll know the good guys from the bad.
And what was worse, my family hemmed and hawed and tried to make it all go away when I tried to tell them. For the last few decades.
So so done with this shit.
I’m going to try to create a hashtag #notmyburdentobear…maybe it will help others. I hope so. I don’t have Twitter so I don’t know if it will not work…but whatever.
We didn’t ask for this burden, we are not carrying it.
@dawnchild
Very brave of you. You have this stranger’s full support.
dawnchild… so brave of you. Virtual hugs and support.
I’m so sorry that happened to you. Do what you gotta do to make yourself feel better. Hugs
guys…thank you! you have no idea of how this community has grown to inspire my thinking and help me evolve as a better person!
So…,I think that if this had been brought up weeks ago they would have chosen another person. Unfortunate that this was not in some way discussed with the republicans. I don’t think they would have gone ahead as there are other conversative judges out there. This was so mishandled all around. At this point no one is going to change their mind based on something almost 40 years old with only one witness and he states he doesn’t remember it. As well she does not know the year or month or place it happened. Imagine if someone brought this charge about Obama. Would you believe her? It is not enough just to believe women because they are women. Believe it or not women lie too. We will never know wether or not this happened. The FBI to investigate and say nothing happened and the people who believe her would still believe are the people who don’t believer would feel vindicated. This is a no-win situation.
According to Daily Mail, Someone who went to the same school as Dr Ford says she remembers there were gossip that he had done something to that girl, she said everyone was talking. She says she does not have first hand knowledge but heard the rumors. She also said Kavanaugh should stop lying and apologize.
I agree that we don’t know if it’s true. But it deserves a real investigation. Maybe that will end in some real proof one way or another, maybe not. She did pass a lie detector test I heard. And that means something.
This needs to be investigated . Getting fed up of this culture of teenage drinking and leaving teenagers alone to drink and party. Can we also talk about what’s going on with Keith Ellison’s ex-wife/girlfriend allegations of abuse? I’m getting disturbed that celebitchy isn’t talking about it. That guy is already one of the most powerful men in the world! How does he get to decide over women’s lives and the next President when he’s abused and physically beaten his ex-wife?
I wonder if any other women will find the courage to come forward and verify the Toad claims.