This is the only course of action that will actually yield any tangible results. Democrats put the entire country in this mess. And they will pay the repercussions for their recalcitrance.
By now, if you aren’t skeptical of Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, then, frankly, we have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Please contact The Political Insider’s sales department at 555-555…
OK, seriously. Everything Ford has done so far portrays either gross incompetence or an ulterior motive.
Strike One
First, Ford made her accusations known back in July in the form of a letter to Senate Dianne Feinstein. The senator sat on the accusations for months before revealing them just before a confirmation vote on Kavanaugh. Now, Feinstein is refusing to work with Republicans on gathering more information about Ford’s story in the form of a congressional hearing. (RELATED: Senator Dianne Feinstein Pushes Back on Hearing for Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Ford.)
That’s strike one. Democrats raised this stink, now they refuse to smell it. Feinstein and her colleagues are refusing to have anything to do with the congressional investigation into Ford’s accusations. If they truly cared about what Ford is alleging, they’d do their best to gather information. (RELATED: Senator Dianne Feinstein Won’t Set Up Call for Kavanaugh Accuser to Testify.)
Strike Two
But it gets worse. Some Senate Democrats are privately upset that Feinstein withheld Ford’s accusation for so long. Sen. Feinstein held onto Ford’s letter for months and decided to air it just before the Kavanaugh vote. People are understandably suspicious of the timing. Washington isn’t a place where accidents usually happen. (RELATED: Democrats Privately Express Doubt on Feinstein’s Handling of Kavanaugh Information.)
That’s strike two.
Strike Three
Where things go out with strike three is Christine Ford’s refusal to actually testify before Congress. Ford made it known that she will not be testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee and is demanding an FBI investigation into her claims first.
This is nonsense on stilts. Ford made her allegations in July. If she wanted an FBI investigation, she should have asked then. There is absolutely no excuse for waiting until now to make this demand. It only belies a lack of seriousness. (RELATED: Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford Wants FBI Investigation, Won’t Testify Before Congress.)
Now, it looks like all of these facts have gathered into a perfect storm that is going to put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans are indicating that if Ford doesn’t testify, they’ll vote to confirm Kavanaugh anyway. Bob Corker, a notorious never-Trump senator, said as much:
After learning of the allegation, Chairman @ChuckGrassley took immediate action to ensure both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have the opportunity to be heard, in public or private. Republicans extended a hand in good faith. If we don’t hear from both sides on Monday, let’s vote.
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) September 19, 2018
Democrats are holding out hope that Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, will still stop Kavanaugh. She just broke their hearts majorly. CNN reporter Manu Raju reports the following:
In a radio interview, Collins pushed back on calls by Ford to allow the FBI to investigate the sexual misconduct allegations before a Monday hearing. And she said: “I think it’s not fair for Judge Kavanaugh for her not to come forward and testify.”https://t.co/TQ2CjbO8Ci
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 19, 2018
It’s growing increasingly clear that if Christine Blasey Ford doesn’t testify, Kavanaugh is going to be confirmed with Republicans falling in line — barring any new developments over the next week https://t.co/qVARglPh0q
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 19, 2018
That does it. If Collins is on board to confirm Kavanaugh, that means the Republican caucus is likely on board.
[totalpoll id=”147679″]
If Ford doesn’t testify, Republicans will likely confirm Kavanaugh. Good. As it should be.
