“It’s not the FBI’s role to investigate Ford’s claims”.
President Donald J. Trump
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans seem committed to send Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court to the full Senate next week despite recent allegations he may have committed a prior sexual assault; and while thousands of pages of his writings while working in the Bush White House have been withheld.
Putting partisan politics over impartial objectivity, their strategy is to ensure Kavanaugh’s confirmation before the November elections when it is possible, although unlikely, control of the Senate could shift to a Democrat majority.
Following Justice Scalia’s death in February 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy. While Garland’s qualifications were impeccable, a Republican-controlled Senate, under the arrogant leadership of Mitch McConnell, refused to hold hearings or vote on Garland’s nomination and, more offensive, GOP Senators did not even show Judge Garland the courtesy of meeting with him.
Republicans were content to let the seat sit vacant for more than a year, arguing such vacancies in a presidential election year should not be filled.
Such disingenuous nonsense!
A Senate Republican majority confirmed Grover Cleveland’s nomination of Rufus Wheeler Peckham in 1896. In February 1988, another election year, the Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed Anthony Kennedy, President Reagan’s Supreme Court nominee.
If Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s letter to Senator Feinstein was deliberately withheld to delay the Judiciary Committee’s work, for which there is no evidence, the Democrats are as guilty of playing politics as the Republicans.
A lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is so important that the vetting process must never be rushed for the partisan expediency of any political party or ideology!
Voting on a Supreme Court nominee where potentially important information on his/her background has not been fully and publicly examined can only further alienate many already disaffected Americans who have lost faith in their government and question whether their elected representatives are living up to their oath of office.
In light of comments made by several Judiciary Committee Republicans, including Orrin Hatch who stated he believes Kavanaugh’s denials of Professor Ford’s accusations, that she is “mixed up” about the facts, and “there’s no question in my mind she was coached by special interest groups,” adding: “Her story’s too contrived. It’s so slick it doesn’t compute”, clearly many have already made up their minds absent any hearings or having spoken to Dr. Ford.
Accordingly, it is no wonder Professor Ford has asked for an independent review of her claims by the FBI before appearing before a potentially hostile committee. Like so many of his other pronouncements, President Trump’s assertion that it is not the FBI’s role to investigate her claims is irresponsible noise!
Interestingly, the FBI was able to conduct an investigation into Anita Hill’s claims of sexual harassment against then nominee Clarence Thomas in just three days!
As to the timing of Professor Ford’s letter, she apparently made the difficult decision to tell it publicly after it was widely misrepresented in the press; and has since received death threats.
Dr. Ford said she discussed the incident during a couple’s therapy in 2012 and provided notes from the therapist. While those notes did not specifically mention Kavanaugh, Ford’s husband told The Post that she did raise Kavanaugh’s name in those sessions and the notes do show Ford referred to students “from an elitist boys’ school” who had become “high-ranking members of society in Washington.”
While Christine Ford’s 36-year old recollections may or may not be completely accurate and, even if they are they may not be representative to who Brett Kavanaugh is today, both parties are entitled to a full, fair and objective public hearing, supported by an independent investigation by the FBI and, where possible, any witnesses; and not rushed on a partisan-basis or predicated on an election cycle!
Only then will the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, full Senate and the American people be able to impartially pass judgement on the qualifications of Judge Kavanaugh to join the Supreme Court.
