Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, verbally torched the place as he began his testimony at the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon.
“The Constitution gives the Senate an important role in the confirmation process. You have replaced ‘advice and consent’ with ‘search and destroy’,” Kavanaugh blasted, calling handling of accusations against him a “circus,” a “witch hunt” and a “national disgrace.”
Though he is applying for a job, he attacked the Democrats on the committee for their “frenzy” to take him down and, as he has since the allegations started becoming public knowledge, Kavanaugh insisted he never has sexually assaulted anyone. He suggested it was “revenge of the Clintons.” Kavanaugh was part of Ken Starr’s team that investigated President Bill Clinton.
“I have never sexuallly assaulted anyone,” Kavanaugh continued to insist. “Sexual assault is horrific.”
Since his nomination, he charged, there has been a “frenzy on the left to find something, anything to block my confirmation.”
“Democratic senators on this committee publicly referred to me as ‘evil.’ Think about that!” Kavanaugh fumed.
That likely played well with President Donald Trump, who had called a rare press conference the previous day, to say he would be watching today’s testimony, and might be convinced to pull Kavanaugh’s nomination. Trump also reportedly advised Kavanaugh this morning to be more aggressive against Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations than he had been during the prebuttal to today’s hearing he had staged on Fox News Channel. If that is accurate, Kavanaugh passed the Trump test today with flying colors.
Kavanaugh slammed accounts of three women who have alleged sexual misconduct and assault against a school-aged Kavanaugh, singling out allegations made by a client of Trump foe Michael Avenatti’s a “farce and a joke.”
“My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional allegations,” Kavanaugh blasted Democrats in the committee, defiantly saying they will now cow him into withdrawing, despite their best efforts.
“You may defeat me in the final vote, but you will never get me to quit,” Kavanaugh chest thumped. “Never!”
Kavanaugh acknowledged that the things written in his high school yearbook were “a disaster” but, even here, blamed Democrats.
“I think some editors wanted it to be some combination of Animal House, Caddyshack and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Many of us went along, to the point of absurdity. This past week, my friends and I have cringed when we read about it and talked to each other.
Saying he was “sad” about a “good female friend” who he says he admires and who, in the his all-boys-school yearbook, is on several points referred to in a way that was “clumsily intended to show affection” – aka the boys called themselves “Renate Alumni.”
“But in this circus, the term was related to sex. I am so sorry to her for that yearbook reference,” Kavanaugh complained.
“As to sex, it is not a topic I ever imagined would come up at a Senate hearing. I never had sexual intercourse or anything close to it in high school or many years after.” He said he was “a little shy” about discussing his lack of “experience” but “at the same time inwardly proud of it” calling it a matter of “faith” and “caution.”
Kavanaugh was, in effect, applying for the Supreme Court nomination all over again after President Donald Trump said he’s going to be watching today’s testimony and might be convinced by Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony to pull Kavanaugh’s nomination.
“It’s possible they will be convincing,” Trump said at previous days’ rare presser, appearing to mistakenly think he was going to hear from all three women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct/assault when they and Kavanaugh were in high school and college.
But while insisting he will keep an open mind, Trump also called Ford’s allegations part of a “big fat lie” and wondered, very 1990’s-ily why none of the accusers, nor their parents had filed police reports at the time.
“Why did they wait so long?” Trump asked. “Thirty six years no charge no nothing…These are all false accusations,” Trump groused Wednesday afternoon.
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