The guy who was acting as the spokesman for Grassley and the GOP on the Kavanaugh issue has just resigned because - wait for it - he has a history of being accused of and was fired for sexual harassment multiple times.
You couldn't make the optics of this any worse if you tried.
Despite GOP attempts to bully her into submission, Dr. Ford has agreed to testify. She's not folding her tent and going away. That's the last thing the GOP majority wanted to see; in this era of "#MeToo", a woman has managed to work through her fears and is willing to challenge the man who she claims assaulted her. The GOP cannot afford to ignore her; doing so will result in a backlash from women in the midterm elections. This will not end well for the GOP; despite their announced intent to "push through this", I would not be surprised to see Kavanaugh withdraw or have his nomination withdrawn.
He comes from a long list of "acceptable" candidates provided by the ultra-right wing Federalist Society. They can basically be swapped in to replace him. The reason Trump chose him? He's the only one who wrote an article saying that the President cannot be investigated for a crime while he is in office. He has also refused to say he would recuse himself from such issues if they come before SCOTUS after he is confirmed.
I have been reading the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and can't find a single reference to where the subject of a crime is allowed to choose the judges that will decide his fate. And yet, that's where we are today.
We overthrew a monarchy in 1776, and that's what made our country and government the greatest - no other country has been able to match what we've done. We should not be trying to restore a monarchy in 2018. |
