#115 - Ford v. Kavanaugh, Part 3

For a brief moment, fresh air filled the room of the Senate Judiciary Committee and we were catapulted back in time to a place where Republicans and Democrats could sit in a room together and ….not want to rip each other’s eyes out, or so it might have seemed

The truth is one voice, just one voice, toggled from the right to the center, perhaps for only a brief moment, but it was enough to put a temporary hold on the madness that was about to be perpetuated by Republican leadership.

Senator Jeff Flake, the outgoing Republican Senator from Arizona got up from his chair a few minutes ahead of the planned vote to move the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court out of the Committee, walked past the row of Republicans to the Democrats, and tapped Democratic Senator Chris Coombs from Delaware on the shoulder, motioning in a way to say “Let’s talk”

What followed was an agreement to put the floor vote on Kavanaugh’s vote on hold for seven more days while more inquiries could be made into Kavanaugh’s past

The delay occurred

(i) because in the ever growing shadow of the Me Too movement,  Christine Blasey Ford in describing an alleged sexual attack by Kavanaugh when Kavanaugh was 17 and Ford was 15 sounded…..believable and

(ii) because no independent third party (FBI) had done anything….ANYTHING to investigate the claim of the alleged sexual attack and

 (iii) because Kavanaugh had dodged and equivocated about his drinking in high school and made up comments about ralphing and the Renata alumni which came across as deceitful because years later he was embarrassed by the poor behavior he once exhibited…. as one of the cool guys at this prestigious private school.

Through it all, our ever mercurial President showed numerous sides of his chameleon like skin

First he said he saw Ford’s testimony and said it was compelling and she seemed like a very fine woman

Then two days ago, he began to shift the focus stating that "It is a very scary time for young men in America, when you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of. It’s a very scary situation where you're guilty until proven innocent,"

But later that same evening at another campaign style rally, he went into full attack mode openly mocking Ford’s allegations of Kavanaugh’s sexual attack. Just about everyone on Planet Earth, including all the Republican members in Congress, was appalled that Trump would stoop so low, AGAIN, everyone except the Trump supporters in the room that night who cheered him on during his rant and raised their “Women for Trump” signs a little higher...

Reasonable people on both sides of the aisle will debate whether Kavanaugh is suited to be a Supreme Court Justice long after the final vote is taken, whichever way it goes, but one thing is certain.  Anyone who thinks the Me Too movement has gone too far, need only look at the shameful commentary of our President and the Kool-Aid drinking supporters at that rally to realize that Me Too still has a long way to go.

We should all note that this final point has only now become so crystal clear because of the good conscious of Senator Jeff Flake.  

And for that Senator, we thank you.