Monthly Archives: September 2018
September 23, 2018 — Scott Johnson
In the matter of Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh it may have become apparent that one is not enough, as Jacqueline Susann might have put it. The New Yorker has just posted a painfully long article by Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow titled “Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from Brett Kavanaugh’s College Years.” In response to the story the New Yorker is promoting here, Judge
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September 23, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, writing in New Yorker, report that Senate Democrats are investigating a new allegation of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh. Few who have been around the block will be surprised that another such claim has emerged just as the clock is about to strike midnight. If anything, the surprise is how weak this one seems to be. The claim comes from Deborah Ramirez who attended Yale
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September 23, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
One of the Democrats’ main talking points regarding Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations against Brett Kavanaugh is that the FBI should investigate before the Senate Judiciary Committee hears from Ford and Kavanaugh. In support of this talking point, Democrats and their friends in the media note that the FBI investigated Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas prior to Hill and Thomas testifying before the Committee. Hill herself says the
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September 23, 2018 — Scott Johnson
Peter Baker reports in the New York Times that Judge Kavanaugh has detailed calendars covering the months of June through August 1982 that he will hand over to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Though they note family getaways, basketball games, football practice, a college interview and parties, the calendars “do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, according to someone working for his confirmation.”
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September 23, 2018 — John Hinderaker
Christine Ford’s allegation against Brett Kavanaugh has put high school sex into the public conversation. That’s what the New York Times thinks, anyway: “Men, Tell Us About Your High School Experience.” This is actually an online form that you can fill out. The first question is, “Did you ever, as a teenager or younger man, behave toward women in ways you may now regret? If so, how? And how has
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September 23, 2018 — Scott Johnson
The Washington Post has played a key role in promoting the farce this time. Kim Strassel looks back at two wrinkles in the Post’s reporting in this Twitter thread. I have taken a screenshot of the end of the Twitter thread and embedded it below. Drudge links to this accessible version of the long Washington Post story on “the GOP’s effort to save Kavanaugh[,]” as the San Antonio Express headline
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September 23, 2018 — Scott Johnson
Now that we have heard from Leland Keyser — what, no Keyser Söze? — NR’s Charles Cooke has provided this handy summary of the story so far: Well, we seem to have hit a brick wall. All four of the people named by Kavanaugh’s accuser have now given their accounts to the Senate. And all four of them have said either that Kavanaugh is innocent of all charges, or that
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September 23, 2018 — Scott Johnson
I’ve been writing about my friend Howard Root in the series “Fear & loathing at the DoJ.” I ended the series with this post on Friday with the Department of Justice letter responding to issues raised by Senators Grassley and Lee on Howard’s case. Last year John hosted Howard at a packed Center of the American Experiment lunch forum in downtown Minneapolis. Howard told the story of his experience as
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September 22, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
CNN reports that Senate Judiciary Committee staff has spoken with a high school friend of Christine Blasey who, supposedly, was at the party where Brett Kavanaugh supposedly assaulted Blasey. The woman is Leland Ingham Keyser. Reportedly, she is a lifelong friend of Blasey (now, Blasey Ford). According to CNN, Ms. Keyser’s lawyer stated: Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being
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September 22, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Recently, an acquaintance of my wife returned from a trip to Iran, her country of origin. In addition to noting the runaway inflation and stark increase in poverty, she was surprised by the heightened level of separatist sentiment in various regions. That sentiment took a violent turn in southwestern city of Ahvaz today. Separatists attacked an Iranian military parade, killing at 29 people and wounding 70 more. The attackers disguised
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September 22, 2018 — John Hinderaker
The Democrats’ current attack on Judge Brett Kavanaugh obviously recalls their failed assault on Clarence Thomas, who has gone on to a distinguished career as an intellectual leader of the Supreme Court. Memories fade, and I had forgotten some of what Hans Bader details at Liberty Unyielding. I remember this much: the Thomas hearing was televised and gripped the nation. At the time, most Americans concluded that Anita Hill, who
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September 22, 2018 — John Hinderaker
Keith Ellison has released his campaign’s first internet video. It claims that Ellison embodies “Minnesota values,” and studiously avoids any reference to the many controversies swirling around him: his long-time advocacy for cop-killers, his multiple documented instances of domestic violence, his participation in the Nation of Islam and his anti-Semitism, along with more minor issues like his failure to pay taxes. Here is the video: Ellison says we need him
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September 22, 2018 — Scott Johnson
In an unannounced visit yesterday sponsored by the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, Secretary Mattis spoke to Professor Michael Mastanduno’s Government 54 class (US Foreign and Military Policy), as well as Dartmouth veterans from the college and graduate schools, members of ROTC and the War & Peace Fellows of the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding. In his remarks Secretary Mattis paid tribute to
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September 22, 2018 — Scott Johnson
The accuser of Judge Kavanaugh and her attorneys continue to protract the farce in their response to the terms offered for her testimony by Senator Grassley. Accuser Christine Blasey Ford accepts the invitation to speak, though at a time of her choosing with conditions left open. The attorneys add a few insults to the Judiciary Committee for good measure. What a crew. Here is the response sent to committee staffers
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September 22, 2018 — Scott Johnson
The Circus is the Showtime series that touts a look inside Washington politics via hosts John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon. The current episode (season 3, episode 7) aired on September 16. The episode can be accessed online here if you jump through a few hoops. At around 23:00 it briefly takes up the Democrats’ efforts to delay and obstruct the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in the
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September 22, 2018 — Scott Johnson
Local public television affiliate TPT hosted a discussion featuring Minnesota attorney general candidates Keith Ellison (Democrat), Doug Wardlow (Republican) and Noah Johnson (Legalize Cannabis) last night on Almanac. The 36-minute segment is posted here. Even before the full legalization of cannabis in Minnesota, we have high times that cry out for an intervention. Hosts Eric Eskola and Kathy Wurzer let Ellison bluster his way through the discussion, but they homed
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September 22, 2018 — Steven Hayward
Anything happen this week? Oh heck, who am I kidding. It’s deja vu all over again, in Yogi Berra’s great phrase: I keep having flashbacks to the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. I’ve said for years that the Bork maneuver would only work once, and that the attack on Thomas, having failed, wouldn’t be tried again. I underestimated the furies of the #MeToo moment, though, as lots of people have
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