Tag: GOP Senate Judiciary Committee

Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing and Vote

Gayle King: “More Than Three Months Of Drama And Controversy Over The Future Of The Supreme Court Is Set To End In The Next 36 Hours. The Senate Will Decide This Morning Whether To Send The President’s Nomination Of Brett Kavanaugh To A Final Vote.” GAYLE KING: “More than three months of drama and controversy over the future of the supreme court is set to end in the next 36 hours. The senate will decide this morning whether to send the president’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to a final vote, expect it early tomorrow night. Republicans, as you know, control the senate 51-49. So the GOP can only afford to have one of its senators vote no.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]

Nancy Cordes: “We Should Note Once And For All Today Whether Kavanaugh Has The Support He Needs To Get Confirmed.” NANCY CORDES: “We should note once and for all today whether Kavanaugh has the support he needs to get confirmed. That’s because this small number of undecided senators may vote to end debate today the way they’re going to vote on final confirmation tomorrow. As forces on both sides pile on the pressure all the way to the end.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]

Nancy Cordes: “In A Final Bid Before The Vote Anti Kavanaugh Protesters Spent The Night On Capital Grounds.” NANCY CORDES: “In a final bid before the vote anti Kavanaugh protesters spent the night on capital grounds, egged on by Democrats.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/5/18; Video]

Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing and Vote”

Either Kavanaugh Goes Down or the Republicans Do

Women — and many men — will still remember Thursday’s hearing when they vote in 2018 and 2020

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham points at the Democrats as he defends Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at a Senate Judiciary hearing Thursday. Credit: Tom Williams, CQ Roll Call, Pool

OPINION — Watching Christine Blasey Ford’s harrowing testimony, it seemed clear that either Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination goes down or he will take the entire Republican Party with him.

Women of all political persuasions — and a hell of a lot of men — will be remembering this hearing when they go to the polls in 2018 and 2020. And while it is dangerous to overexaggerate the political influence of a single event in our hyper-partisan times, Thursday’s testimony has the potential to be seismic.

It wasn’t even what Ford said — though her repeated recollections of Kavanaugh laughing during the alleged sexual attack were haunting — so much as her mixture of composure and emotion as she said it. This was a wrenching event in her life and she had no hesitation in testifying that Brett Kavanaugh was one her two sexual assailants.

Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing

George Stephanopoulos: “She Came In Fear. He Came In Anger. Now, Senators Must Decide Right There At The U.S. Capitol Who Do They Believe? How Will They Vote? Should Brett Kavanaugh Get A Lifetime Seat On The Supreme Court?” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO]

Terry Moran: “At Times It Felt Less Like A Senate Hearing Room Than Some Kind of Medieval Trial By Ordeal, And Began With The Moment The Country Was Waiting For. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford For The First Time Under Oath Speaking Publicly, Her Voice Trembling.” MORAN: “Washington is still shaken to its core by a wrenching day of testimony. There was so much raw human pain and at times it felt less like a senate hearing room than some kind of medieval trial by ordeal and began with the moment the country was waiting for. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for the first time under oath speaking publicly, her voice trembling.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO]

Mary Bruce: “What’s Clear This Morning Is That Republican Leaders Are Plowing Ahead, After A Late Night Huddle Here On The Hill, Top Republicans Emerged Standing Firmly By Judge Kavanaugh, But What Is Not Clear Is Whether Republicans Have Enough Votes To Get Him Confirmed.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing”

udiciary Staffer’s Tweets Fuel Fight Over Kavanaugh Accuser

‘Unfazed and determined. We will confirm Judge Kavanaugh,’ committee’s chief staffer says.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, walks to the floor for a vote after a meeting in Majority Leader McConnell’s office in the Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Credit: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call

Amid a pitched partisan battle over how the Senate handles an allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman decades ago as a teenager, liberal groups on Thursday seized on comments from a Judiciary Committee staffer to paint the process as a sham.

Mike Davis, the committee’s chief staffer for nominations, tweeted twice overnight about his key role in the committee’s review of Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation, as well as criticism of Ford’s attorneys and his desired outcome of the process.

“Unfazed and determined. We will confirm Judge Kavanaugh. #ConfirmKavanaugh #SCOTUS,” Davis tweeted at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Five sitting senators voted on Clarence Thomas’s nomination. Four supported it.

Credit: Philip Bump, The Washington Post

In an essay published by the New York Times, Anita Hill included an interesting aside.

Hill, whose allegations that she had been sexually harassed by Clarence Thomas emerged during the process after his nomination to the Supreme Court, was comparing her situation in 1991 to the current moment. Brett M. Kavanaugh, nominated to the bench by President Trump, has been accused of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford in 1982 while in high school.

“As that same committee, on which sit some of the same members as nearly three decades ago, now moves forward with the Kavanaugh confirmation proceedings,” Hill wrote, “the integrity of the court, the country’s commitment to addressing sexual violence as a matter of public interest, and the lives of the two principal witnesses who will be testifying hang in the balance.”

View the complete September 18 article by Philip Bump on the Washington Post website here.

Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing (Wed. Edition)

Mika Brzezinski: “The Senate Judiciary Committee Will Vote On Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To The Supreme Court Just Hours After He And Christine Blasey-Ford Will Testify Before The Committee.” MIKA BRZEZINSKI: “To our other top story, the senate judiciary committee will vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the supreme court just hours after he and Christine blasey-ford will testify before the committee. Chairman Chuck Grassley said if the committee is ready, it may hold a vote on Kavanaugh on Friday at 9:30 A.M. Senate Republicans are under pressure to move Kavanaugh quickly through the final stages of his nomination to the supreme court. Majority leader Mitch McConnell has warned his colleagues that he has planned to hold a vote no matter what happens possibly as soon as next week. McConnell says he is confident going into a vote.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/26/18; VIDEO]

Terry Moran: “With Only 24 Hours Before Judge Brett Kavanaugh And Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Face Lawmakers And The Country, President Trump Is Fighting For His Candidate In Classic Trump Fashion. […] He’s Lashing Out Directly Targeting The Latest Accuser, Kavanaugh’s Yale Classmate Deborah Ramirez.” MORAN: “With only 24 hours before judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford face lawmakers and the country, president trump is fighting for his candidate in classic trump fashion.” TRUMP CLIP: “This is a con game being played by the Democrats.” MORAN: “He’s lashing out directly targeting the latest accuser, Kavanaugh’s Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/26/18; VIDEO]

Sunny Hostin: “I Have Never Seen A Prosecutor, You Know, Examine A Witness Without The Benefit Of An FBI Agent Or A Detective Having Conducted An Investigation.” HOSTIN: “I do think that the right way to go is to have a former sex crimes prosecutor, a woman, examining these witnesses, not only Dr. Ford but also judge Kavanaugh because that person has the type of experience that I have. You know how to deal with alleged victims of sexual assault and how to examine them and so I think that is the right move. But I have never seen a prosecutor, you know, examine a witness without the benefit of an FBI agent or a detective having conducted an investigation.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/26/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing (Wed. Edition)”

Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearing

Peter Alexander: “We Heard From Kellyanne Saying That The First Accuser Should Be Heard. After Ramirez Came Out Yesterday She Described This As A Vast Left Wing Conspiracy. They Now Pushing Back Much More Aggressively On This.” PETER ALEXANDER: “Right, it was unusual. This was remarkable. We haven’t seen anything like this. Th felt to me like something out of the Trump playbook. deny, dig in, defend. Now they are going on offense to Kasie’s point latest allegation from Deborah Ramirez, we heard from kellyanne saying that the first accuser should be heard. After Ramirez came out yesterday she described this as a vast left wing conspiracy. They now pushing back much more aggressively on this.” [Today, NBC, 9/25/18; VIDEO]

Peter Alexander: “But Republicans Are Also Scared. They Have Real Concerns That He Would Not Be Confirmed, That There The Potential For Erosion Among Republicans” [Today, NBC, 9/25/18; VIDEO]

Katty Kay: “I Think It’s Unfortunate Brett Kavanaugh Has Called This Part Of A Smear Campaign Because That By Default Is Passing Judgment On What These Women Are Saying.” KATTY KAY: “I think it’s unfortunate Brett Kavanaugh has called this part of a smear campaign because that by default is passing judgment on what these women are saying. But I think that is why we have to have some kind of an investigation that probably is not what we’re going to get on Thursday, which is the senate hearing.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/25/18; VIDEO]

John Heilemann: “I Don’t Understand To This Day, This Hour Especially Listening To Brett Kavanaugh Last Night Why It Is His Position And The Position Of The Party Other Than Pure Politics Is Not Calling For An FBI Investigation.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/25/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearing”

Kavanaugh allegations set stage for Anita Hill sequel

Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee who last week appeared to be cruising toward confirmation, has suddenly found himself in the sequel to the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings of 1991 that rocked Washington and vaulted the issue of sexual harassment into the national spotlight.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is now slated to hear public testimony from Kavanaugh and his accuser, much like senators 27 years ago heard additional testimony from Thomas and questioned Hill about her accusations against the then-nominee.

President Trump’s pick has been accused by Christine Blasey Ford, a Ph.D.-level research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California, of sexual assault more than three decades ago, when she was a 15-year-old sophomore and he a 17-year-old junior.

Longtime observers of Supreme Court confirmation fights see eerily similar parallels between Kavanaugh’s now besieged nomination and the maelstrom that engulfed Thomas in the fall of 1991, which left indelible scorch marks on the Senate.

View the September 18 article by Alexander Bolton on the Hill website here.

Republicans Have Reviewed Very Little Of Kavanaugh’s Records

They Haven’t Seen Any Of His Staff Secretary Records

Senate Republicans are trying to rush through the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh by holding his hearing before the Senate is able to review the full subset of records that Senator Grassley has requested.

In fact, the Senate has reviewed less than half of the subset of records that Grassley requested, and Republicans still refuse to release any of the records from Kavanaugh’s time as White House staff secretary. What are Republicans trying to hide?

  • Senator Grassley said his staff has reviewed 430,000 pages of Kavanaugh’s records ahead of his hearing next week.
  • That is less than half of the more than 900,000 pages Senator Grassley requested. The rest won’t be made available before Kavanaugh’s hearing.
  • The few records that have been turned over were pre-screened by a Republican lawyer who used to work for Kavanaugh. The Senate will likely see zero records from the National Archives before Kavanaugh’s hearing.
  • Senate Republicans still refuse to release 560,000 documents from Kavanaugh’s time as White House staff secretary.

Republicans Rush Kavanaugh Hearing Before The Senate Receives Key Records

Senate Republicans are trying to rush through the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh by holding his hearing before the Senate is able to see a key subset of his records. Judge Kavanaugh is being considered for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land, and the American people deserve to know who he is. What are Republicans trying to hide?

Senate Republicans plan to begin Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing on September 4 – many weeks before a subset of Kavanaugh’s records can be released.

CBS News: “The National Archives informed the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Thursday that his request for documents regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh can’t be fulfilled until the end of October. Chairman Chuck Grassley had asked for Kavanaugh’s emails and paper filings from his time as Bush’s associate White House counsel, and more documents pertaining to his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.” Continue reading “Republicans Rush Kavanaugh Hearing Before The Senate Receives Key Records”