The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705
Wednesday
Sep192018
The Commentariat -- Sept. 20, 2018
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Damian Paletta & John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump lashed out at congressional Republicans on Thursday, questioning their strategy of pushing off a messy fight over border wall funding until after the midterm elections in November. His outburst could raise fresh questions about whether Trump will force a government shutdown in just 10 days, when funding for numerous programs expires.... This is the second time in recent days Trump has suggested Republican leaders are being duped by Democrats when it comes to wall funding, openly questioning the GOP's calculated strategy to avoid a shutdown. Earlier this week, the Senate passed a short-term spending bill that would keep the government running through Dec. 7. It aims to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month and includes less far less funding than Trump sought for his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. 'I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms?' Trump wrote on Twitter. 'Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security. REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!'"
... all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. -- Akhilleus, today
Stephanie Kirchgaessner & Jessica Glenza of the Guardian: "A top professor at Yale Law School who strongly endorsed supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a 'mentor to women' privately told a group of law students last year that it was 'not an accident' that Kavanaugh's female law clerks all 'looked like models' and would provide advice to students about their physical appearance if they wanted to work for him, the Guardian has learned. Amy Chua, a Yale professor who wrote a bestselling book on parenting called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, was known for instructing female law students who were preparing for interviews with Kavanaugh on ways they could dress to exude a 'model-like' femininity to help them win a post in Kavanaugh's chambers, according to sources.... Jed Rubenfeld, also an influential professor at Yale and who is married to Chua, told a prospective clerk that Kavanaugh liked a certain 'look'." Mrs. McC: Yes, I'll bet he does. ...
... Sen. Heller Dismisses Attempted Rape Allegation as an Annoyance. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) reportedly characterized the sexual assault allegation against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh as a 'hiccup' and predicted that President Trump’s nominee will soon be confirmed for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Heller made his remarks during a conference call arranged by the Nevada Republican Party on Wednesday night in advance of Trump's planned visit to the state Thursday, according to an account by the Nevada Independent. 'I'm really grateful for the White House, for the effort of President Trump and what he has done, and the excitement that we have,' Heller reportedly said. 'We got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination. We'll get through this and we'll get off to the races.'" ...
... Howard Koplowitz of al.com: "Former Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore called on Republicans to 'take a stand' and support suggested U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh following the sexual misconduct allegations levied against him, adding that he believes the Democrats are using Kavanaugh's accuser as a political pawn." Mrs. McC: Oh, don't worry, Roy. The attempted rape allegation is just a "hiccup." But thanks to you & Dean Heller for weighing in & reminding us of what top Republicans think of girls & women. ...
It's not very often -- likely never -- than a Supreme Court nominee gets three Pinocchios -- three times -- for lying under penalty of perjury, but Brett Kavanaugh is an extraordinary nominee.
Dean Obeidallah of the Daily Beast: "... , just a few months before [Florida goobernatorial candidate Ron] DeSantis [R] formally announced his candidacy for governor, the then member of Congress attended and spoke at an event organized by the nation's most vile anti Muslim group: ACT For America. To Muslim Americans like myself, this organization is akin to neo-Nazis who seek to demonize and marginalize blacks and Jews. But in the case of ACT, they target Muslims."
*****
What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep. -- Brett Kavanaugh, in a speech in March 2015 ...
... The Reluctant Witness, Ctd. Peter Baker & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers said Wednesday that the hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold next week to examine her allegations would not be fair or adequate. Speaking through a lawyer, Christine Blasey Ford, a university professor in Northern California, said she remained willing to cooperate with the committee as it considers Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, but did not want to appear at a hearing where the two of them would be the only witnesses.... Speaking through her lawyers, Dr. Blasey, a research psychologist, on Tuesday evening all but ruled out appearing at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Monday to hear her allegations.... Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and the chairman of the committee, said Wednesday that he was flexible on how to handle the questioning of Dr. Blasey but not on the date.... The back-and-forth came hours after President Trump described the allegation against Judge Kavanaugh as hard to believe and the furor surrounding it as 'very unfair' to the judge.... During his seven-minute encounter with reporters, Mr. Trump referred to his nominee as 'Justice Kavanaugh' three times." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Yeah, Mrs. Ford, the hearing "would not be fair." Guess what? Life isn't fair. It's nice you're a privileged person -- like Brett Kavanaugh -- and life has been more fair to you than it is to most people. This was your turn to take what life hands you & make the best of it. Anita Hill grew up the 13th child of poor black Oklahoma farmers. Apparently hers was a better upbringing than yours because she turned out to be a much better person than you are. It's pathetic when we live in a country where people who have enjoyed its benefits won't get out of their nice little comfort zones to make it better for others. So you're too fucking delicate to take the heat, & the result will be girls & poor people & workers and all the have-nots will have to live under the thumb of Justice Would B. Rapist. Shame on you. I'll take this back & apologize if you show up for the hearing. ...
... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Republicans haven't officially made the decision to press forward with federal judge Brett M. Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, but they appear likely to have the votes to do so. Three key GOP senators [-- Flake, Corker & Collins --] have fallen in line with the arguments put forward by their colleagues. They said that Christine Blasey Ford has been given a chance to share the story of her accusation against Kavanaugh in a hearing setting, and encouraged her to testify -- even without the FBI investigation she says must come first.... While Collins doesn’t explicitly say there should be a vote regardless of Ford's participation, her decision to lean in on some key GOP talking points is crucial." ...
... But They're All Worried about It! Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "President Trump and Senate Republicans on Wednesday took a hard line: full-speed ahead on Brett M. Kavanaugh's nomination for the Supreme Court despite an allegation of sexual assault decades ago. But privately, discussions about the political fallout gripped the party, with Republican lawmakers and strategists unnerved by the charged, gender-infused debates that have upended this campaign season. Already burdened by an unpopular president and an energized Democratic electorate, the male-dominated GOP is now facing a torrent of scrutiny about how it is handling Kavanaugh's accuser and whether the party's push to install him on the high court by next week could come at a steep political cost with women and the independent voters who are the keystone for congressional majorities." ...
... Ken Dilanian, et al., of NBC News: " A former schoolmate of Brett Kavanaugh's accuser wrote a Facebook post saying she recalls hearing about the alleged assault involving Kavanaugh, though she says she has no first-hand information to corroborate the accuser's claims. 'Christine Blasey Ford was a year or so behind me,' wrote the woman, Cristina Miranda King, who now works as a performing arts curator in Mexico City. 'I did not know her personally but I remember her. This incident did happen.' She added, 'Many of us heard a buzz about it indirectly with few specific details. However Christine's vivid recollection should be more than enough for us to truly, deeply know that the accusation is true.'... King has since taken down her Facebook post, which NBC News verified as having appeared on her account." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Frank Thorp, et al., of NBC News: "Republican lawmakers on Wednesday appeared poised to move ahead with a confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman while they were in high school, if the woman does not participate in a Senate hearing to air the allegation.... [Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck] Grassley ... said that no law enforcement investigation was warranted and that the invitation for her to testify on Monday 'still stands.' The chairman responded to Ford's lawyers Wednesday afternoon in a letter in which he said again that FBI involvement is not needed and that the Senate doesn't have the power to authorize such an investigation.... He said Ford would need to submit her biography and prepared testimony by Friday at 10 a.m. if she intends to testify Monday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Kaitlan Collins of CNN: "In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, another former classmate of Brett Kavanaugh's denies attending a party like the one described in the allegation made by Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexually assaulting her three decades ago when they were teenagers. Patrick J. Smyth attended Georgetown Prep -- an all-boys school in North Bethesda, Maryland -- alongside Kavanaugh. Both men graduated in 1983.... Eric Bruce, who is representing Smyth, authored a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the committee. CNN has obtained a copy of the letter, which includes a quote from Smyth denying seeing any 'improper conduct' from Kavanaugh." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... Caleb Howe of Mediaite: Andrew Napolitano, appear on Neil Cavuto's Fox Business "News" show, said, "'There's an agreement between the FBI and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and whenever the Chair, speaking for the majority, wants a nominee investigated or re investigated, the FBI will do it,' he said. 'The president of course can do it with a stroke of a pen.' 'Now, we're talking about opening up a background check. We're not talking about a criminal investigation of an event that happened 36 years ago, that would be absurd because there is no statute of limitations still available for any criminal prosecution,' he added. 'So the purpose of the FBI investigation would be as a service to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.'... To close the interview, Cavuto asked Napolitano whether Republicans rushing to vote now, prior to the investigation, would 'come back to bite them.' 'I think it would.... And there will be a taint on Judge Kavanaugh that will never go away until the public actually has the opportunity to hear the two of them. Not at the same time, but the two of them.'" ...
... Frank Rich: "... easy as it is for me or anyone else to say, I hope Ford goes to Washington.... Once confronted with the real Ford, [Republicans on the Judiciary Committee] are likely to be nonplussed and outwitted. They will bully her on the national stage of television at their peril. And should these senators try to duck that confrontation by delegating the questioning to a female surrogate -- a strategy that's been floated this week -- they will look like little boys cowering behind a woman's skirt.... If it sometimes seems that we heard Anita Hill's testimony of 27 years ago only yesterday, that's because its urgency is undiminished today." Read on. Rich, as usual, includes some fine, on-point anecdotes. ...
... E.J. Dionne: "For those insisting that Republican senators take Christine Blasey Ford's allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh seriously, one aspect of the conversation is particularly infuriating: the notion that the timeline established by the GOP for completing this process is quasi-sacred.... Her lawyers told the committee that she wanted an FBI investigation before she testified, which would allow potential witnesses to be interviewed.... And it is at this point where the suspicion that Republican senators are acting in bad faith cannot simply be dismissed.... They argued that the FBI does not undertake such investigations, which was patently untrue, because the FBI went back and investigated [Anita] Hill's allegations. The Trump administration could ask for such an inquiry, just as George H.W. Bush's administration did in the Thomas case 27 years ago. They expressed outrage that a vote might be postponed by, say, a week or two. This came with little grace from Republican senators who left Justice Antonin Scalia's seat on the court open for one year and 53 days because they would not even hold a hearing on President Barack Obama's last nominee, Judge Merrick Garland." ...
... Kevin Liptak of CNN: "The FBI did investigate Anita Hill's accusation, and it took three days." ...
... Maria Caspani of Reuters: " A growing number of Americans said they opposed ... Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, as the candidate's confirmation hearings took place and as he fended off a sexual assault claim, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The Sept. 11-17 poll found that 36 percent of adults surveyed did not want Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court, up 6 points from a similar poll conducted a month earlier. Only 31 percent of U.S. adults polled said they were in favor of Kavanaugh's appointment." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
John Solomon & Buck Sexton of the Hill: "President Trump in an Oval Office interview with Hill.TV launched one of his most ferocious broadsides to date against Jeff Sessions, suggesting the attorney general was essentially AWOL and performing badly on a variety of issues. 'I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad,' Trump told Hill.TV in an extensive and freewheeling interview Tuesday from the Oval Office.... 'I'm so sad over Jeff Sessions because he came to me. He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn't see it,' he said. 'And then he went through the nominating process and he did very poorly. I mean, he was mixed up and confused, and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers. Answers that should have been easily answered. And that was a rough time for him.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
John Solomon & Buck Sexton: "President Trump in an exclusive interview with Hill.TV said Tuesday he ordered the release of classified documents in the Russia collusion case to show the public the FBI probe started as a 'hoax' and that exposing it could become one of the 'crowning achievements' of his presidency. 'What we've done is a great service to the country, really,' Trump said in a 45-minute, wide-ranging interview in the Oval Office." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... Chris Strohm of Bloomberg: "Donald Trump has demanded the 'immediate declassification' of sensitive materials about the Russia investigation, but the agencies responsible are expected to propose redactions that would keep some information secret, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department, FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence are going through a methodical review and can't offer a timeline for finishing, said the people, who weren't authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive matter." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Our Ignoramus President*. Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "Law enforcement and national security experts are warning that ... Donald Trump's decision to selectively declassify and release portions of sensitive Justice Department documents related to the Russia probe could compromise U.S. intelligence methods and endanger the lives of sources. And in an alarming if unsurprising turn, the president said Tuesday that he hasn't bothered to read the documents and is putting them out because 'many people' -- likely including his sycophants at Fox -- told him to do so." ...
... Ignoramus Update. Eric Levitz: "Not only was the president interfering in a active investigation (in which he has a blatant conflict of interest), he was also potentially jeopardizing the security of American intelligence assets, and/or the comfort that foreign intelligence agencies have in sharing their secrets with the United States. A wide array of intelligence experts and officials voiced their opposition to the move. The Justice Department -- which did not receive advance instructions detailing exactly what it was expected to release -- immediately signaled its intention to slow-walk the request.... In an interview with the Hill Tuesday, the president ... [said,] 'I have not reviewed them. I have been asked by many people in Congress as you know to release them. I have watched commentators that I respect begging the president of the United States to release them.... I have been asked by so many people that I respect, please -- the great Lou Dobbs, the great Sean Hannity, the wonderful great Jeanie Pirro.'" ...
... The Washington Post excerpts & adapts a portion of Greg Miller's book, The Apprentice: Trump, Russia & the Subversion of American Democracy. In late July 2016, "Russia House," the CIA unit charged with spying on Russia, had come across "extraordinary intelligence that ... reached deep inside the Kremlin, showing that Putin was himself directing an 'active measures' operation aimed not only at disrupting the U.S. presidential race but electing Trump.... Trump's admiration for the leader of Russia was inexplicable and never wavered after taking office. He praised the Russian leader, congratulated him, defended him, pursued meetings with him, and fought virtually any policy or punitive measure that might displease him. A trained intelligence operative, Putin understood the power of playing to someone's insecurities and ego. On cue, he reciprocated with frequent praise for the president he had sought to install in the White House." ...
... Scott Shane & Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times: "For many Americans, the Trump-Russia story as it has been voluminously reported over the past two years is a confusing tangle of unfamiliar names and cyberjargon, further obscured by the shout-fest of partisan politics.... President Trump's Twitter outbursts that it is all a 'hoax' and a 'witch hunt,' in the face of a mountain of evidence to the contrary, have taken a toll on public comprehension. But to travel back to 2016 and trace the major plotlines of the Russian attack is to underscore what we now know with certainty: The Russians carried out a landmark intervention that will be examined for decades to come.... Russians or suspected Russian agents -- including oligarchs, diplomats, former military officers and shadowy intermediaries -- had dozens of contacts during the campaign with Mr. Trump's associates." Timelines of concurrent events are embedded in the report and here; I'll be damned if I can read them.
Brent Griffiths of Politico: "Michael Flynn..., Donald Trump's former national security adviser, is set to be sentenced on Dec. 18, following months of delay after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials during the transition."
Our Ignoramus President*, Ctd. Adam Raymond of New York: "Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell revealed this week that Trump proposed Spain build a wall across the Sahara to stem the flow of migrants into Europe. When diplomats brushed aside the idea and pointed out that the desert is 3,000 miles long, Trump pushed back. 'The Sahara border can't be bigger than our border with Mexico,' he reportedly said. It is, in fact, bigger."
Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Thursday suggested that the U.S. may reconsider military support for countries in the Middle East if members of OPEC don't bring down oil prices. 'We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices! We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!' Trump tweeted."
Mark Landler of the New York Times: "The world's two largest economies are in the opening stages of a new economic Cold War, one that could persist well after Mr. Trump is out of office." ...
... Jillian D'Ongro of CNBC: "Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Chinese retail giant Alibaba, says the company no longer plans to create 1 million jobs in the United States in the wake of the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Ma made his original job creation pronouncement during a high-profile meeting with Donald Trump in January 2017 before Trump's inauguration as president. 'The promise was made on the premise of friendly US-China partnership and rational trade relations,' Ma told Chinese news site Xinhua on Wednesday. 'That premise no longer exists today, so our promise cannot be fulfilled.'"
Simon Denyer of the Washington Post: "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to hold a second summit meeting with President Trump soon to speed up the denuclearization process, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday. Moon was speaking on his return to Seoul after a three-day summit with Kim in Pyongyang. There, Kim promised to allow external inspectors into his country to verify that a missile test and launch site had been permanently dismantled, and he pledged to permanently disable an important nuclear site if the United States also takes 'corresponding steps.'... When asked what the corresponding measures would be, Moon said that needs to be discussed between North Korea and the United States."
"Running Like a Fine-tuned Machine." Frances Sellers, et al., of the Washington Post: "With his home state flooded and the death toll rising, FEMA Administrator William 'Brock' Long was on the verge of quitting this week. On Sunday, his bitter feud with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen seemed as though it would abate. The two agreed to a truce so that the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Florence would not be further overshadowed by the deepening acrimony between them since the disclosure of an internal investigation into Long's use of government vehicles to travel between Washington and his home in North Carolina. Nothing would happen to Long in the near term, Nielsen assured him, according to three senior government officials familiar with the conversation. Let's just get through the storm, she said. About 24 hours later, as Long&'s plane landed in North Carolina, he learned that the DHS Office of Inspector General had referred his case to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal investigation. He felt devastated and betrayed, according to the three government officials...."
Rachel Bade of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Wednesday named retiring Rep. Darrell Issa to head the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, setting up what could be a contentious confirmation battle in the Senate. As former House Oversight Committee chairman, the nine-term congressman built a name for himself by dogging the Obama Administration for years. He turned the IRS upside-down by accusing top officials of targeting conservative groups for political purposes, led the charge to hold former Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt, and accused President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of trying to covering up the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks in 2012.... Issa's once-safe GOP seat has become a top target for Democrats. Issa barely won his reelection last year, squeaking by with only a couple thousand more votes than his Democratic challenger.... He frequently appears on Fox News" lobbying for an administration job "praising the president."
Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "In the days following reports that a solar observatory in New Mexico had been abruptly evacuated and closed with FBI agents on the scene, the Internet exploded with theories. Aliens? UFOs? Some other mysterious extraterrestrial encounter?... The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, N.M., stayed shuttered for 10 days earlier this month, its entrance roped off with crime-scene tape and guarded by security personnel, as The Washington Post reported.... On Monday, the facility reopened.... Much to the disappointment of conspiracy theorists, what appears to have triggered the observatory's complete shutdown was a janitor that had allegedly been using the observatory's WiFi to download and distribute child pornography....."
Florida Governor's Race. Marc Caputo of Politico: "A Republican activist who donated more than $20,000 to Ron DeSantis and lined up a speech for him at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club called President Obama a 'F---- MUSLIM N----' on Twitter recently, in addition to other inflammatory remarks. Steven M. Alembik told Politico Wednesday he wrote the Obama tweet in anger, that he's 'absolutely not' a racist and that he understood that DeSantis's campaign for governor would need to distance himself from the comments -- which the campaign promptly did.... 'So somebody like Chris Rock can get up onstage and use the word and there's no problem? But some white guy says it and he's a racist? Really?' the 67-year-old Alembik said.... This is the fifth race-related issue concerning the Florida candidate, his gubernatorial campaign or one of its supporters." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I posted this link not because I think it reflects on DeSantis but because I just have to marvel at someone who can call the last real POTUS a 'FUCKING MUSLIM NIGGER" -- that's the way it appeared in the tweet -- and happily proclaim he is "absolutely not a racist." What, exactly, do these people think is indicative of racism?
Medlar's Sports Report. Scott Cacciola of the New York Times: "Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, will pay $10 million to women's leadership and domestic-violence organizations under an agreement with the N.B.A. announced Wednesday to address sexual harassment and other improper conduct among employees in the team's front office. The payment, and other reporting, staffing and leadership changes, are a result of a monthslong investigation into accusations against several employees, including the former team president and chief executive, Terdema Ussery. Cuban did not face accusations of misconduct, but the investigation found his supervision severely lacking, and he agreed to the payment, avoiding a fine. Still, the payment by far exceeds the amount of any fine the league has imposed on a team or owner." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Uh, about that presidential bid, Mark?
Beyond the Beltway
David Mack of BuzzFeed News: "A California surgeon who once appeared on a Bravo reality show and his girlfriend have been charged with drugging and raping at least two women, officials said Tuesday, and prosecutors believe there may be many, many more victims. Orthopedic surgeon Grant W. Robicheaux, 38, and Cerissa Riley, 31, are accused of meeting women in restaurants and bars, spiking their drinks, taking them to Robicheaux's apartment, and sexually assaulting them.... Prosecutors said the pair filmed the assaults of the two women. Officials don't know how many other women may have been victims, but noted they had discovered more than 1,000 videos on the doctor's phone."
Tiffany Hsu of the New York Times: "Cody Wilson, whose push to post blueprints for 3-D printed guns online has made him a key figure in the national gun control debate, was charged on Wednesday with sexually assaulting a child in Texas. But law enforcement officers said they were having trouble finding Mr. Wilson, who missed a flight back to the United States from Taipei, Taiwan, his last known location. During a news conference on Wednesday, Cmdr. Troy Officer of the Austin Police Department said that a warrant had been filed for Mr. Wilson's arrest and that local detectives were working with national and international partners to find him. Mr. Wilson, 30, is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl at a hotel in Austin on Aug. 15 and paying her $500 in cash, according to an affidavit filed in Travis County. The girl told the police that she had met Mr. Wilson through the website SugarDaddyMeet.com...." Mrs. McC: What? You thought he was probably a nice guy?
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Reader Comments (20)
The fact that a growing percentage of Americans oppose appointing judge Kavenaugh counts for absolutely nothing. This will push Trump to double down to show his insecure strength.
Bobby Lee,
A growing percentage of Americans don’t want Trump either but I don’t see that fact as making its way through his defensive barriers. The question now is, when Trump and his repulsive acolytes in the. Senate ram through this nomination and put an attempted rapist on the Supreme Court, for life, will enough of those Americans show up to vote in the midterms and again in 2020 to rid us of this scourge.
Of course at that point we’ll have two R’s on the court with sexual criminality in their pasts. A couple of others who don’t believe there’s any such thing as racism, and one who thinks workers should accept death rather than transgress the wishes of their corporate masters.
Marie:
Regarding trauma, of the "reliving, avoidance and negative affect," avoidance is sometimes the most difficult to manage. It looks to me like Blasey Ford may be on the west coast for a reason. It may present insurmountable symptoms for her if she comes back east - I don't know this, but there may be other dimensions to "It's not fair."
example: when I was very young, I followed one of my older brothers up the face of a cliff which ran along side of a beautiful waterfall. At the top of the cliff was a pool where everybody was planning to swim. As I climbed, he reached down to help me up. But he slipped and fell into the waterfall. It took a long time for me not to be woken up by the sound of his scream as he fell. I still don't remember how I got to the bottom of the cliff and found my brother alive but injured. He was okay, after a long hospital and rehab stay.
I go by the road to that waterfall every time I go to the dump. I have never gone back to that place. I never will. It is not FAIR to ask me to relive the horror.
@Victoria: This Op-ed piece in NYT by Richard Friedman: explains Why Sexual Assault Memories Stick "...intense experiences" offers up an excellent explanation that applies to other situations as well.
" ...If she does not testify, some of her critics will undoubtedly argue that the time that’s passed is reason to doubt her recollection. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The reason has to do with the way memories are encoded when a person is experiencing intense emotions..."
—Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College, and a contributing opinion writer.
@Victoria: No, it is not FAIR to ask you to relive that horror, and since you choose not to, there is no reason for you to do so. But what if your reliving that horror would for some reason save the lives of hundreds of young women & girls? It would be traumatic for you, at least in the short run, but it would not be life-threatening. I don't know you, so I don't know if you'd do it. I hope I would. There's a big difference between avoidance for avoidance's sake & avoidance that could hurt many other people.
Marie's argument for Ford to forge forward, lick her wounds, and sacrifice her fears for a greater cause has merit. As she says, she hopes she would choose this path if up against such a dilemma. Throughout our history the people that made a difference, that put themselves in harms way for something larger than themselves achieved greatness–-became heroes. But the thousands––mostly women–-who did the grudge work (example: during the Civil Rights movements) who were responsible for much of the real change are names long forgotten. In the case we have before us we have a extremely dysfunctional congress along with an extremely dysfunctional administration headed by a loon, and we are asking a woman who is asking for proper vetting and a fair hearing to come ahead without it, put herself out there despite–––for the good of the country.
"One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being:" May Sarton
(Epigraph from the novel "The Russia House" and in the film of the same name the character Barley, played by Sean Connery, speaks this line.
On Rachel last night she reminded us about Reagan's pick for a S.C. justice in 1987, one Douglas Ginsberg, who is now a senior Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals in D. C. He resigned after Tina Totenberg revealed that he had used marijuana on occasion.
And once again we are reminded that Clarence Thomas done got a lifetime job despite lying under oath–- which is a federal crime–– in which he makes decisions that effect the whole country. Way to go guys! Let's do it again––why the hell not!
Thanks, Marie, for that perspective. I was thinking about the worry that if one relives the horror, they may disintegrate psychologically. And if one has a family to care for, as well as a husband and a demanding job, can they predict to themselves that if they do this act of courage, will they be able to go back to their lives and function at all?
What a Difference a (White) Place Makes
Trump to Puerto Rico:
"You're lucky this [Maria] isn't a real catastrophe, not like Katrina."(3,000 people dead.)
Trump to North Carolina:
"America grieves with you and our hearts break for you. God bless you. We will never forget your loss...Your entire American family is with you and ready to help."
(36 people dead.)
Trump to Puerto Rico:
"You've thrown our budget all out of whack!"
Trump to North Carolina:
"Washington is with you, Trump is with you, we are all with you 100% and we'll get through it...Anything you need, you know how to call me."
Trump to Puerto Rico:
"These people [Puerto Ricans] have to give us [the Trump administration] more help!"
Trump to North Carolina:
"You're going to have a rebuilding process and we are behind you from day one,"
Trump to Puerto Rico:
Here's some paper towels. Catch. Gotta run, good luck.
Trump to North Carolina:
"Nearly 20,000 federal and military personnel are supporting response efforts, 1.6 million meals delivered. God bless you, we will never forget you, we will never leave your side.We are with you all the way."
Ford's decision, if it stands, not to testify, gives perfect political cover to the two or perhaps three R's who may have been "allowed" to vote against the Kavanaugh nomination. Not testifying means they can hide behind Grassley's blanket condemnation of Ford and the cover provided by Fox and the right-wing media blanket, who have been smearing her character from the get-go.
Profiles in courage this is not. Not on anyone's part. And into the bargain, it makes Rape Boy Kavanaugh look like a holy martyr being unfairly persecuted by some lying bitch and the Democrats who put this thing together simply to keep this wonderful man off the court.
Once again, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Well golly gee, look who's throwing his full support behind sexual assaulter Kavanaugh.
Sexual assaulter Roy Moore!
Who'da thunk it?
Can't think of anyone else I'd rather have endorse me if I had a cloud of attempted rape hanging over my head and had a reputation for liking women clerks who "looked a certain way", wink-wink.
I'll bet there are whole prison wards full of sexual offenders who are all down with Kavanaugh. He's their kinda guy.
The FBI Problem--and Ours
So what would be the problem with asking the FBI to investigate Ford's claim?
Plenty. First, an investigation by the FBI means it's being taken seriously. Seriously enough, at any rate, to get some agents out in the field and start asking questions.
Second, if they do turn up something, you're screwed (if you're Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell, or president* pussy grabber, that is).
And the presence of the FBI in this case upends Grassley's plan to make this a he-said, she-said cut-and-dried, close-case bit of dried turd, and simply Anita Hill the shit out of Ford's claim.
There is already more than enough to go on (even before the attempted rape charge) to make this nomination flatter than road kill. Whether or not the FBI turns up anything, this guy is such a damaged nominee he'll forever have an asterisk after his name, like Thomas. But that's never bothered Confederates in the past, so...
And leave us not even mention the fact that it didn't bother Confederates to be without a ninth justice for over a year, but now, with women's rights on the table ready to be carved up by Good Guy Brett, there's not a minute to be lost. They're all careful not to come right out and say "Lying bitch", but that's exactly what they mean when they describe a serious allegation of attempted rape as a "hiccup".
Nonetheless, even without an FBI investigation, her presence in that room would be electrifying. Confederate heads would pop. Marie is right. She should do it. I know it might be hard, but will it be harder knowing that you might have been able to prevent the detonation of Roe and that for decades to come, women will be without the ability to choose how they live their lives because you declined the chance to speak? Get out there and take your swings. We've already seen that Kavanaugh's fastball wouldn't strike out a Little Leaguer. Make him sweat, and maybe they'll pull him.
Why did she send the damned letter in the first place if she was just gonna sit in the dugout when the umpire yelled "Play ball!"?
I guess that might a great topic for a research psychologist.
Let me get this straight.
The president* is declassifying and releasing sensitive intelligence information that could provide a detailed look at how operations are run to anyone who cares to read the documents, documents he himself hasn't even read, and he's doing this, why?
Because Sean Hannity asked for them??
Are you fucking kidding? Democratic senators with actual security clearances have been asking for months for documents related to Brett Kavanaugh's past work history and they are being denied--because National Security (huff, huff, huff, blah, blah, blah), but Sean Hannity and Lou Fucking Dobbs(!) demand to see highly sensitive classified documents related to intelligence operations and national security and they get them, no questions asked????? So that they can PUT THEM ON THE FUCKING TV????
I don't even know what to say anymore.
NYT: Debunking 5 Viral Rumors About Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s Accuser
This article explains how Trump was elected by Russians.
America- land of the free and home of the pathetic mentally ill.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/us/politics/christine-blasey-ford-kavanaughs-fact-check.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
I probably shouldn't bite on these things, but sometimes I just can't help myself.
*sigh* Here we go again.
Is the answer to every Jeopardy question "What is 'build a wall', Alex?" It is if the little dictator is on the show. (And okay, try not to giggle too much thinking of Trump on Jeopardy. Remember those SNL Jeopardy parodies where one of the characters saw the category "Japan US Relations" and read it as "Jap Anus Relations"? Yeah. Trump would make that guy look like Ken Jennings.)
Oh, man. So...what's next? A wall across the Sahara Desert? Built by Spain to keep out Muslims? Wow. Why didn't anyone think of that before? But wait. Is the Sahara Desert part of Spain? No? Well, no worries. I'm sure they could find a Great Dealmaker to make that problem disappear. (*snicker*)
I guess one good thing about building a wall in a desert is that it might last a while. That is, if you built it with stone and did it right, like the pyramids, f'rinstance, not, say, like Trump would build it, with shoddy materials constructed by gypsy contractors who may or may not get paid, supervised by Uday and Qusay. It'll probably end up being a ten foot chain link fence with "Keep Out" signs every fifty feet. And while they're at it, they might build a giant statue in honor of the world historic genius who thought of this plan in the first place.
I can see it now. Trump out in the middle of the desert, surrounded by scantily clad Bedouin babes riding camels at the unveiling of the gigantic OzyTrumpias statue Hey, he's been practicing that "sneer of cold command" his whole life, might as well make use of it somehow.
Of course, off in the background you won't see anyone trying to get around Trump's Desert Wall. He's so smart. No. They'll all be in boats because who the fuck thinks it's a great idea to cross the Sahara on foot to get to Spain in the first place?
Jesus. This guy gets stupider by the hour.
Everyone with a brain knows Kavanaugh lied multiple times under oath to Congress, live on teevee, shameless and determined. But no one reasonably expects the sanctions that our "laws" require of this. Because it doesn't matter to lie to the Congress under oath, if you're a useful member of the Conservative Cause.
In America, we pride ourselves on the Rule of Law. Yessiree. Just look at the text, written black and white. Can't miss it.
No one is above the law! in our country...Except laws conveniently ignored,
for certain people.
Like Republicans.
Two-tiered justice is on the front page, but absent from the narrative that matters.
That narrative affirms that, despite the GOP under Drumpf kneecapping American institutions, the justice system remains intact.
True...except for that two lane track glaring at our eyes from the front page.
Lawbreakers on the Supreme Court, isn't that grand. Why do I have the feeling Republicans wouldn't let that slide for a liberal nominee?
I'm starting to better understand the myth of "American Exceptionalism"...the secret lies in the "making exceptions" part.
Safari,
Right on, brother. Exceptions are only granted for the tribe. Everyone else pays the penalty. And if you're black or a woman, you pay double, even if the transgressions are made up.
Especially if the transgressions are made up.
Here's a question.
Grassley, Graham, McConnell and almost everyone who gets a paycheck from Fox, are loudly proclaiming that Christine Blasey Ford has not, and will not, be able to prove her case because she can't recall exactly what happened on the night of the attempted rape, second by second.
The implication is that Kavanaugh's attack is all made up, the recounting of which cannot possibly be relied upon, because it happened so long ago and cannot be recalled in sort of detail that would make investigative journalists blanch.
But had this been a good American soldier (male, natch) whose traumatic experiences, say, in combat, even from 40 years ago, had caused some drop-outs in memory, they would be praising him to the high heavens for his duty to his country (something the little dictator never felt was required of him) and decline forevermore to question his inability to recall chapter and verse of a specific event, no matter how long ago it occurred.
Would these creeps give the victim of sexual assault the same leeway?
We already know the answer.
For Republicans, sexual assault, even rape, is just boys being boys.
Unless you're a Democrat.
Classmate of Kavanaugh sez he never attended such a rape party!!
Oh, well, I guess in Confederate minds, and and this guy's, that means it never happened, QE diddly D.
I dunno about youse guys, but I can testify that, as close as I was to my group in high school, I could never state, categorically, as this guy seems to be doing, that because I wasn't with them when they supposedly did such and such, it couldn't possibly have happened.
I'm not sure of the exact logical fallacy that describes this situation, so I'll just leave it at "Total Lie".
But I guess R's will say it's not a lie if he couldn't remember. In which case he should shut his fucking mouth.
This is such a travesty. The whole fucking thing. And the worst thing is, it's not like Little Brett is going to be able to cash in a million dollar lottery ticket, it's that he'll be able, for the next two or three decades, to inflict his warped sense of what's right (a guy who repeatedly perjured himself for personal gain and who tried to rape a 15 year old) on the entire American populace.
Christ almighty, people. Get the fuck out and VOTE!
Q: Why would DJT now make nice to Ford?
A: he's discovered K is a liability after all.
Prediction: DJT is going to throw Kavenaugh under the bus.
Unless Grassley or someone or Fox talks him out of it.
A friend of mine whose grandparents along with many other relatives died in the Holocaust has this quote at the end of all of her emails:
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [wo]men to do nothing." Edmond Burke (1729-1797)