Team Ford asks Grassley for yet more time

As noted here, Senate Judiciary Committee Grassley gave Christine Blasey Ford a deadline of 10:00 p.m. tonight to respond to his counter-proposal on the terms for Ford giving testimony about her claim against Brett Kavanaugh. Grassley stated that if Team Ford didn’t respond by then, or if Ford decided not to testify, the Committee would vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Monday.

Grassley’s ultimatum had an escape hatch. Team Ford could meet his ultimatum by providing a response before 10:00 p.m. in which she did not decline to testify.

That’s what Ford’s legal team has done. Before the deadline arrived, it sent Grassley a whiny email asking for more time. It seeks another day for Ford to make her decision.

Given the way Grassley worded his ultimatum, plus the unreasonableness (as it will be portrayed) of not giving Ford one more day (never mind that this would not be the first extension), I expect the Chairman to grant the request. Ford will then have the option of (1) trying Grassley’s patience with yet another counter-offer, (2) agreeing to what Grassley proposed, or (3) declining to testify.

As I keep saying, I don’t think declining to testify is much of an option for Ford. She and her team are determined to sink Kavanaugh or at least delay the proceedings for as long as possible. If she refuses to testify, Team Ford can’t accomplish either objective.

Thus, my guess is that Grassley will give Ford another day and that she will respond on Saturday either with another counter-proposal or an agreement to Grassley’s terms. Or maybe a hybrid approach in which she agrees to almost everything, but clings to a demand or two she thinks will find sympathy with Senators like Susan Collins — just to keep this ridiculous dance going.

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