This is going to sound bizarre from a cynic like me, but I honestly believe we have a chance? I remember when Brett Kavanaugh was first nominated by Donald Trump, I was so depressed that I could barely function for weeks. Then Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came out, told her story, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and her bravery inspired me. I understand completely if you’ve had a really difficult few weeks/months/years, but I’m going to be Suzy Sunshine for one brief moment: I think we have the “no” votes.
The Senate floor vote on Brett Kavanaugh is being held today, at 10:30 am. Red-state Democrat Heidi Heitkamp has already said she’s voting no. Republican Jeff Flake – who was the reason why the sham FBI investigation came into existence – still seems to be on the fence, and he’s not saying how he’ll vote. He was reportedly in a closed-door meeting with Chris Coons (Democrat) for a while yesterday. Lisa Murkowski might be on the fence (although my guess is that she votes yes on Kavanaugh). And Montana Republican Steve Daines is missing the vote:
Spokeswoman for @SteveDaines confirms that he will indeed be walking his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day on Saturday, won’t be present for a Kavanaugh confirmation vote if it happens then. 👰
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 4, 2018
I have a theory about what is really happening today, but it involves electoral math and Republicans underestimating the long-term effects of using Kavanaugh as a political pawn, so I’ll keep it to myself for now. In the meantime, Kavanaugh wrote a last-minute op-ed in… the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal. The op-ed is “I Am an Independent, Impartial Judge.” That’s like going on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show and claiming impartiality. Here’s part of Kavanaugh’s op-ed:
… I testified before the Judiciary Committee last Thursday to defend my family, my good name and my lifetime of public service. My hearing testimony was forceful and passionate. That is because I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me. At times, my testimony—both in my opening statement and in response to questions—reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused, without corroboration, of horrible conduct completely contrary to my record and character. My statement and answers also reflected my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled.
I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters.
[From The Wall Street Journal]
Pro-tip: when you’ve been accused of multiple instances of attempted rape, rape and sexual abuse, it’s a good idea to NOT brag about how “forceful” you are. But to summarize his op-ed, he’s arguing that he can’t be trusted to be a neutral arbiter on the bench when it involves anything that affects him personally, and he sometimes is an emotional, hysterical, forceful, aggressive mess but you should still vote for him because he’s related to women. Terrible closing statement.
Newspapers around the country have used their staff editorial pages to denounce Kavanaugh and encourage their senators to vote “no.” All of these people came out against Kavanaugh as well:
Now against Kavanaugh confirmation:
* Retired SCOTUS Justice John Paul Stephens, a lifelong Republican
* The American Bar Association
* Yale Law School, who trained him
* National Council of Churches, which represents 100,000 congregations https://t.co/Cd0smkfwJ8— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) October 4, 2018
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Add to that list 2400 law professors who will present a petition to the Senate advising that Kavanaugh is unfit for the SC. I doubt McConnell would go for the vote if he thought he didn’t have the numbers, but I hope you are right, Kaiser. Flake is leaving but he probably is trying to line up his next gig and needs Republican backers. He needs to just do the right thing, vote no and ease his conscience. So should Murkowski. Collins is just a waste of space, just never delivers. If Kav doesn’t get up, the Repubs will use it as bait to stir up their rancid base. If Kav does get up, it will rev up the Dems.
Justice Roberts can refuse to seat Kav. Also, Kav can be impeached if the Dems win the Senate. Might as well get Thomas while they’re at it. With the two of them, that makes 40% of the males on the court as unindicted sexual predators.
Apparently impeaching and removal are different things -kavanaugh may well get impeached but it will take a 2/3 senate majority to remove him. Even if Democrats defend every incumbent seat and win every toss up it won’t be enough for a 2/3 majority.
67, right? Yeah. Not gonna happen.
I was proud to see my that my dad signed the law professors’ statement. Also, pleased to see some of my former professors there as well… and shocked (not really) to note the absence of others 😒
That’s really great, Stumpycorgi. You must be proud to know that they will be on the right side of history.
@Kitten Thanks! I don’t have a good relationship with my dad but I’m proud of the work he does (advocacy, fighting to change our criminal justice system). Not that I can take any credit for it of course!
Speaking of law professors… apologies for the rambling to follow… A man sexually assaulted me during my first year of law school. I went to the advocacy center on campus (situated on the undergrad campus, but technically serving all branches of the U. They told me I was the first law student to come in), and they sent confidential letters to my profs, asking that they not call on me for two weeks, so I could try to recover. One prof, a beloved prof, did NOT keep that letter confidential. He forwarded it to the dean and others. And instead of giving me a break for two weeks, he called on me more than anyone, in a class of 100 students. And of course I couldn’t really tell anyone. Lots of profs from my law school signed that statement. Not him, of course. I wonder if anyone else was not surprised. 😒
Daines will make the vote -it will just be Sunday instead. Manchin, Collins and Flake will all be yes’s; murkowski may likely be a no but her vote won’t be not enough to win the senate math.
I firmly believe Manchin is going to lose this November. He might see a yes vote as a way to sway voters to his side, but it won’t help him. He should just do the right thing. Although it’s not like he’s a real D anyway. WV politicians might call themselves democrats to win a primary, but as soon as they win the general, their true colors shine through. See also Jim Justice.
He’s so ugly.
Inside and out.
He looks much like the person who violated my sexual boundaries especially while yelling and frankly reminds me of why I never came forward 20 years ago.
He’s Ted Cruz level creepy.
George Orwell said that after the age of fifty, everyone has the face they deserve. By that measure, Kavanaugh’s pudding-face suggests a weak, self-indulgent character, his mouth is full of self-pity, his skin is Steve-Bannon-booze-blotchy, and his eyes: omggg, there is NO *there* there.
I’ve been reading faces since I was a kid, but gotta say, his is so easy and disgusting to read that it scares me for the future of justice in our country if he’s confirmed.
That was perfect- and yes, he does sort of look like Ted Cruz too.
True, otaku fairy, he does.
Booze-blotchy and indicative of low stomach acid, which can result from heavy drinking … hence the “weak stomach.”
We just have to sit back and watch this country take another hit. I can’t help feeling that everything is just hopeless. Evil keeps winning. Sorry to be depressing, but I really needed to vent.
Nah, I’m with you on this @tmbg. My Sweetheart woke me this morning saying that the news reports that the FBI report “exonerates” him, despite the fact that people with direct knowledge regarding Kavanaugh, alcohol and his history were never contacted despite reaching out to the FBI.
There’s Dr. King’s statement in which he quotes Unitarian pastor and abolitionist Dr. Theodore Parker: ( which, according to Matt Lewis of The Daily Beast, has been misconstrued to be more general than it is, but still….)
“Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross,” Dr. King wrote, “but that same Christ will rise up and split history into A.D. and B.C., so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name. Yes, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’”
I hope that quote proves true. All I can do is get to that voting booth and hit the Democrat switch across the board. Usually I consider each one as there have been a few local moderate Republicans I’ve liked, but no more. That party is filth.
A douche bro is going to be on the Supreme Court. It’s a sin against the country. That’s how I feel.
The Republicans were always going to double down and stick by Kavanaugh. They have to appear unbowed and united in the run up to the midterms. Backing down would’ve angered their base and given the Dems the momentum.
Great op-ed Bart!
Can’t wait to see your new book on the shelves, due out a month after your confirmed, called “Devil’s Triangle and Other Drinking Games: A Guide to Perjury and Partisan Judicial Rulings” by Bart O’Kavanaugh. Be sure to include a foreword by Emperor Zero.
Your FFFFFriend,
Vlad Putin
At this point, nothing would surprise me.
God he’s pulling out all the stops isn’t he? The willingness to subjugate himself is alarming and should be disqualifying….
Yeah, he is desperate. His op-ed was ridiculous. I couldn’t help but imagine him screaming it had he read the words aloud.
Seriously scary how badly he wants the position! That’s another red flag imho.
I have not lost hope – confirmed he gets impeached and will face the wrath of women. If not confirmed, Republicans will face the wrath of Trump and his cult.
We won’t have the votes to impeach him. Sorry for the bad news.
I know I said otherwise recently but I’m starting to warm to the idea of adding two justices if we can make the blue wave happen. I know the potential downsides, but a Kavanaugh confirmation means Trump will be protected and if Mueller’s report is what we have been expecting, then we must do everything to ensure that doesn’t happen.
I agree, Kitten. It’s the only play we’ve got. People are pinning their hopes on unrealistic goals, like the 25th Amendment and impeaching Rapist Brett. We need to be smart, and work with what we’ve got.
Yes, and Pelosi has made it clear she will not start the impeachment process.
@Kitten – I, too, like the idea of adding judges. If anything, the Supreme Court should be near balanced in political ideologies to present fully reviewed findings in all cases instead of the politically skewed mess the current dictatorship is trying to establish.
Flake is mulling a presidential run – he’s a yes no matter how he tries to pretend otherwise. Daines is opting out and I have zero faith in either Collins or Murkowski.
You could be right, considering the outrage by the public and backtracking from his previous supporters it does not look good for FratBaby. His name is mud and reputation is in tatters, even if he is confirmed any ruling he makes will be treated suspiciously with negative reactions – people will question his judgments.
Kav has become the face of:
– White male privilege and entitlement
– Rapists/sexual assaulters
– Being bought and paid for
– Drunk assholes
– All negative stereotypes of frat brothers
– Committing perjury and getting away with it
– How not to conducted an FBI investigation
He is almost as reviled as Trump himself – that is a stain that will never go away.
I have two words for the opt-ed – damage control. He has been universally slammed by his peers for the way he behaved during the hearing and rightly so.
He has become a figurehead for the fight to protect women and civil rights.
I’m not American but I stand with my American Sisters. #StandTogether
Yes, the op-ed smacks of last ditch desperation. He’s so transparent. Not that it matters.
What I get from this guy is a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Washington post had an article yesterday and it was all about how the people who knew him either though he was a nice considerate guy or a complete asshole. And there were already people questioning his temper when he was nominated for the federal bar.
I tend to think the people who think he’s nice are generally bad judges of character, especially if they didn’t know him well. My husband and one of my sons are like that — they tend to give people the benefit of the doubt whereas my other son and I have tend to tune into BS and insincerity much more quickly.
I read his Yale roommate’s excellent article on Slate yesterday (after seeing him on AC the previous night). Then I put together that this was the roommate FratBoy tried to poo-poo during his testimony with some ridiculous deflection.
The roommate’s point is that FratBoy lied about his drinking and other things. These lies plus his erratic, partisan behavior (demonstrated on live TV in front of millions) should disqualify him. He’s temper mentally challenged, and obviously politically biased. We don’t need an investigation to prove it.
When I saw his wife standing behind him, I thought to myself that she must know it’s true. She’s seen his rage more than once and knows he’s a drunk. I felt so sorry for her.
Yes, she has that look of a woman who’s been beaten down by the big frat baby’s drunken tantrums. Am undecided on whether he’s been physically abusive but we all saw that he is capable of verbal and emotional abuse.
Daines will make the vote if it’s held today (Friday), right?
@Rando I am sorry this happened to you and hope you are able to find some measure of healing, all this time later. We never forget, do we? I’ll remember again on election day next month.
HUNDREDS of organizations have come out against him (representing MILLIONS of members) and THOUSANDS of people protested in the streets, and the SCOTUS doesn’t want him. Incredible that he doesn’t back out, but just keeps yelling. What an obscene, florid, out-of-control idiot he is.
“What courses did you enjoy in school?”
“I was into football. And by the way, I was the only Virgin football player in America.”
PS Did you read the woman’s story about getting gang raped in the back of a car by Kav and his buddy? It is HORRIFYING. They dropped her off on the sidewalk and said “if you say anything, no one will believe you.” How prescient.
@Kaiser, I’d love to hear your theory!
Me too!
Honestly, I’ve just resigned myself to the reality that this will likely happen. Now the fight take son an entirely different and more drastic character. I’m currently dumping all of my extra income into my school debt to get it paid off ASAP. I don’t want anything tying me down to this country if the worst becomes reality.
An aside, Sarah Kendzior is just a fantastic commenter. As a scholar of totalitarian states specifically the Soviet Union, she was frantically sounding alarms about drump way back in 2016. But no news outlet would give her the time of day. She also is highly critical of the MSM, especially the NYT, and their collusion in electing drump. She co-hosts a podcast called Gaslit Nation.
Please please please write to the following Congressmen and Congresswomen:
Lisa Murkowski, Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Joe Manchin.
Even if it has NO effect, you will have at least exercised your right to speak up.
You can easily google their webpages.
PLEASE contact them. As ask all of your friends to do the same.
Can anyone explain how the voting works. If they are voting at 10:30 this morning, what is the vote tomorrow?
I believe the vote today is for the House of Representatives. If it passes through there it will go to the Senate tomorrow for final confirmation. GOP has a very slim majority in the Senate and if the vote is tied they can call in VP Pence to break that.
It’s my understanding today’s vote is a cloture vote, which I guess is like a vote to decide if they should do the actual vote which would be Saturday or Sunday (to allow the wedding guy to vote). So even if today’s vote moves forward, that does NOT mean (yet) that he is confirmed. Murkowski apparently voted no for the cloture just now.
I had my hopes up that Susan Collins would be morally decent, but it was just announced that she’s going to vote yes
Deleted my comment. I originally said that her vote is a yes to move forward ONLY but it’s clear she’s going to vote yes to confirm as well.
We are f*cked. Collins is making a gigantic mistake. GIGANTIC. I want to drive up to Portland and pound on her door.
Murkowski a “No” on cloture…
It is going to Pence for the tie-break. FUCK.
Sign me up too, Kitten! Maine is my home state. Goddamn Collins! Rage. Not that I expected better of her, but still!!
Does she really live in Portland? I assumed she lived somewhere like Kennebunkport, but I hadn’t thought about it. I’m pretty sure the people of Portland would be banging on her door already!! 👊
F*cking Pence, f*ck all of them! I’m now too angry to type.
Not that anyone cares, but it turns out Collins lives in Bangor and people have protested outside her home. Not nearly enough though. But protesters have stormed her offices at least.
She says she will announce her final position at 3:00 today. Stop playing with us, Collins. We know what you’re about.
51-49 vote to move forward. FML.
If, as we all suspect, Collins and Manchin are both yes for the final confirmation vote then we need to make sure they’re gone. Manchin is up this year and Collins in 2020 I believe.
This is unforgivable.
The only slightly heartening theory I’ve seen on Twitter is that Manchin and Collins are doing this to put an end to the endless debate and may vote NO on the final vote. I’ll believe it when I see it -_-
I think that theory makes sense. NPR was just discussing how since Murkowski voted no it may embolden them to vote no tomorrow. I’m sure the chances are very tiny it’s not a done deal just yet.
Unfortunately, Collins and Manchin are voting “Yes” unless they catch wind of Kavanaugh making promises to be less-than “surgical” with the ACA. It blows my mind that they’re foolish enough to trust the word of a scheming, lying, perjuring sexual assailant. This is my new strategy for calls: HE SAYS LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE, MAYBE DON’T TAKE THE SERIAL PERJURIST’S WORD FOR IT. Maybe they’ll care about/listen to THAT, because they don’t seemed too concerned about doing what’s right.
🙏-ing this the case!
Awful.
I didn’t drink too much – my friends and I drank too much! Totally different! Good thing it’s my friends and I who will occupy this SC seat! We do everything together!
I’m not an angry, belligerent drunken pervert – I’m just an angry, belligerent dad and father defending my family! I’m not sure what I’m defending them from because they didn’t do anything, but dignity of women and whatnot! Did I mention that I’m a dad and father? Of daughters? I knew they’d come in handy one day! They’re my “good guy” cover! These 10 fine forceful fingers are for more than just groping – they can magically shift blame to whomever I point at! It’s YOUR fault America!
#therealtomrobinson
Hear, hear!
Nailed it. Dude uses his wife and daughters as cover for who he truly is: a pervert, a predator and likely a sociopath.
Reading this made me realize again that the GOP has no idea what public service means.