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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums65 Women Send Pro-Kavanaugh Support Letter to Senate
Politico, 'Sexual assault allegation roils Kavanaugh confirmation fight. Republicans rushed to defend the Supreme Court nominee with a letter from women who've known him since high school.' Friday, Sept. 14, '18.
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans on Friday released a letter from 65 women who knew Brett Kavanaugh during his high school years calling him "a good person"- escalating their defense of the Supreme Court nominee as a decades-old sexual misconduct allegation surfaced. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) office circulated the pro-Kavanaugh letter less than 48 hours after the committee's top Democrat, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, referred the allegation against the nominee to the FBI.
Feinstein, who declined to say when she first became aware of the accusation, said she had "honored [a] decision" by the woman making the charges to maintain confidentiality. But the senator's handling of the matter has stoked already-fierce partisan tensions over a confirmation the GOP is still pushing to wind up by the end of this month.
The woman leveling the charge against Kavanaugh attended a nearby high school at the same time as the nominee. She, Kavanaugh, and another high-school male were alone in a room together when the alleged misconduct took place, according to two sources. The New Yorker reported Friday that the woman alleged Kavanaugh had attempted to force himself on her while physically restraining her.
The flaring controversy has not shaken Republican plans to bring Kavanaugh's nomination to the Senate floor before the Supreme Court's new term begins in first week of October. The Judiciary panel is still scheduled to vote on the nomination on Thursday, Grassley's office said. The Senate has received an updated FBI background report on Kavanaugh that includes the letter, which means that senators will have access to the letter if they want to view it. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/14/gop-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-allegation-824699
- MORE, Washington Examiner,
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/65-women-defend-kavanaugh-after-sexual-misconduct-allegation/ar-BBNkVtj
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday released a letter from the women, who said they have known Kavanaugh for more than 35 years, including during his years at Georgetown Preparatory School, an all-boys school in North Bethesda, Md.
For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect, the women wrote in the letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time.
The 65 signatories said they knew Kavanaugh through various activities and have remained close to him and his family.
Through the more than 35 years we have known him, Brett has stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity, the women wrote. In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day.
torius
(1,652 posts)He was friends with 65 girls. Sure, mm hm.
John Fante
(3,479 posts)I didn't know 65 people at my school, nevermind just girls.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)An amazing coincidence! "Hey girls! Brett might get accused of doing something rapey. What say we all get together and sign a letter about how he was never rapey around us? You know, just in case."
TexasProgresive
(12,148 posts)I went to an all boys high school and I had lots of female friends. They went to co-ed or all girls schools.
Hangingon
(3,071 posts)TexasProgresive
(12,148 posts)Blazer and tie or strict dress code?
Hangingon
(3,071 posts)This was long ago.
WillowTree
(5,325 posts)And my niece's girls went to a Catholic school (co-ed) and also dated boys from the public school. Kids aren't necessarily cloistered at these private schools.
torius
(1,652 posts)But 65, all of whom knew him so well that they could vouch for his character? Who even knows that many people that well?
Hangingon
(3,071 posts)It was the only catholic boys school in town. There were 3 catholic girls schools. Lots of mixers and lots of activities in common. Many of the kids were related. It would not have been difficult to know 65 girls.
MiniMe
(21,676 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)...the good Christian Kavanaugh had once tried raping someone.
brush
(53,471 posts)it, only prepared a response if needed.
No one could get in touch with 65 women from all over the country and perhaps the world in 3 days and get them to sign on to a letter.
They had the letter sitting there waiting just in case it was needed.
Squinch
(50,773 posts)Kavanaugh had already been proven to have lied to Congress under oath. We have video of him doing it and a paper trail that proves it. That should be the end of him.
Now we get this accusation. All of my appreciation and respect goes out to the accuser, because she knows the mountain of shit that is about to fall on her and she's coming forward anyway because it's the right thing to do. But in the end it looks like it might be he said/she said, and she might not be able to prove what she is saying.
Now, Kavanaugh has been vetted umpteen times before. There are vetting bodies that must already have this information. Could they have sent it to Feinstein and then Feinstein talked to the victim? The victim seems very reluctant to go public.
Did they push it forward NOW to distract from the perjury, for which we have proof, on the assumption that it would dominate the news and then not be provable?
I wouldn't put it past them. Seems McConnell-ish to me.
WillowTree
(5,325 posts)All she's done is write a letter at this point and has said that that's all she wants to do. That almost makes it less than he said/she said.
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)Nothing like a sex scandal to blitz the media, foil the impt. issues, and the GOP is hell bent on his confirmation. I hope this won't be how it goes down..
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65 women pulling together this fast is not difficult; he and his family lived in Bethesda lifelong, and there are neighbors, associations and networks over years. The way it is, esp. with persons with established connections. And if elaborated, who's going to make the women 'verify'? There's less than a week until the vote on him..
torius
(1,652 posts)It was worded that way, using weasel words. They knew him, "including" in high school. Even at a co-ed high school, 65 close female friends is not believable. I hope journalists are looking up their names.
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)At age 52, there were many women (& men) who knew me when I was in HS, neighbors, friends' mothers, teachers, parents' friends.
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- "65 women who knew Brett Kavanaugh during his high school years calling him "a good person" (Politico).
- "The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday released a letter from the women, who said they have known Kavanaugh for more than 35 years, including during his years at Georgetown Preparatory School, an all-boys school in North Bethesda, Md.
For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect, the women wrote in the letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time.
* The 65 signatories said they knew Kavanaugh through various activities and have remained close to him and his family." (Wash. Examiner) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/65-women-defend-kavanaugh-after-sexual-misconduct-allegation/ar-BBNkVtj
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)Teachers, Women at Church, more, could know him since HIS HS Days which are in question.
_____
CHECK, and CHECKMATE?
brush
(53,471 posts)is highly unlikely. Those women are in different parts of the country and perhaps the world. Who can even gather the names and contact info in 3 days and contact them all and get them to agree to sigh that letter.
Nah. Not buying it at all.
That letter was pre-prepared in case this incident came out, which means they knew about and were ready for it in case the Dems found out about it.
They sure weren't going to bring it up that their perjurer nominee was also a sexual assaulter.
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)about BK and urged the Reps. Not to nominate him months ago.
brush
(53,471 posts)about this sexual assault allegation?
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)and on another thread. I never claimed there wasn't a letter ready.
Assuming that the 65 women are 52ish, the same age as BK, and also in HS school at the same time is impt. to me.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)This man is slime. I knew it the first moment I saw him. Just keep digging, they will find more on him.
VOX
(22,976 posts)Whether it came from McConnell or not (and it does smell funny), putting that damned letter into the mix now, with the back-and-forth tussle it generates, will seriously muffle and displace the valuable noise from the bigger, more corrosive issue of lying under oath. And Republicans will seize on this gift, and blather non-stop about letters, and adolescent hijinks, etc., and allow the lying-under-oath business to melt and evaporate.
No one ever said being a Democrat was easy, but damn, itd sure be nice if everyone rowed in the same direction once in awhile.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)VOX
(22,976 posts)Dont get me wrong Brett Kavanaugh is a horrible person, through and through. A smarmy, lying, right-wing weasel who is unfit for any judgeship, let alone the SCOTUS.
Im just thinking about strategy. As reprehensible as his behavior toward women was as a youth (and his current thinking on women is likely still twisted), the damned Republicans are protecting and enabling their monstrous #45 figurehead, whos also a serial molester, and probably worse. The entire Republican Partys attitude toward women is abominable. Weve seen them trot out candidates like Roy Moore, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood, etc. As usual, women and POC are suffering the most under this near-dictatorship.
Which is why, again, just thinking in cold strategic terms, that Kavanaughs abuse is probably no big deal to most Republicans, especially their authoritarian, hyper-religious men. You and I, and any other sentient beings are appalled, but what we feel makes no difference here, when the Rs are holding the high cards. They can just pivot to their fresh batch of womens letters of support (regardless of how disgustingly disingenuous that maneuver is), and blunt the angle of attack. And it gives them a pivot-point, a smokescreen, to retreat to, when the lying-under-oath issue comes up.
Lying under oath, though, is exactly what they harpooned Bill Clinton with, although he lied once about a blow job, and Kavanaughs been lying repeatedly, denying that he *knowingly* used info from stolen opposition-party documents (when and for a prospective SCOTUS judge, that should be Kryptonite. Because of Democrats sheer lack of numbers, any effort to derail Kavanaugh is, out of necessity, entirely based upon moving some Republicans to reject him. (Thats no easy feat.)
Just saying that if I were a strategist, thats the point I would go all-in on: Do the people of the United States deserve a justice whos so overtly partisan that he lies repeatedly under oath? (And his emails document that hes lying his rump off.) Not guaranteeing that would sink Kavanaugh in a world where Donald Trump is president and truthfulness is devalued, but a lying-under-oath judge is pretty indefensible, if Republicans had any sense of shame.
Just my devalued nickels worth. If there were genuine justice, Merrick Garland would be on the SCOTUS today, and #45 would be facing impeachment in bipartisan fashion, and then doing some serious prison time. One can still dream.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)esp. helpful when we are stuck playing defense all the damn time.
erronis
(14,952 posts)This is a good deflection. Why did DF fall for it?
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)CatMor
(6,212 posts)torius
(1,652 posts)haele
(12,581 posts)So there's all sorts of weasel definitions of "acquaintance since High School" that can be used here. Sort of like a Venn diagram stretched out to make a total of 64 women who could sign.
Here's one possibility. At that level of social status, Kavanaugh's network of business and legal acquaintances began at Georgetown Prep - in High School. I can easily believe that a good 30 - 50 of the signatories had/have husbands (present or ex) who went to Georgetown Prep with him (whether they were in the same year or not) and had both met Kavanaugh and heard "stories" about that time with their husbands, so they could eeehhh...maybe claim they knew the type of guy he was during High School through their husbands, as a political or social favor for someone who is otherwise acceptable to their particular circle..
After that, the few college network acquaintances from his Freshman year - also a "since High School" period, typically being the same year as the one he graduated. Like "The Roommate", or a fellow frat member when they rushed together. That, or wives/ex-wives of said college network acquaintances who heard stories about him "during that period since/right out of High School". There's perhaps another 10 women there.
After that, any long-term acquaintances through Church. Perhaps some co-ed function while he was an Alter Boy, or a nun/laywoman who handled some church organization. The wives/ex-wives of fellow alter Boys (see above). Another 5 or so.
After that, any date, friend's date, etc. who may have met him or heard stories of him while in high school - if they really remembered them.
So, yeah, stretching the definitions, they might have been able to find 64 GOP women who would sign such a letter.
After all, they're all one Family.
Haele
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Even if this is legit, and I have major doubts, women saying nice things doesn't cancel out an attempted rape accusation. This isn't some numbers game. Imagine if Ted Bundy's defense was that he didn't kill 99.9% of the women in the world.
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)spanone
(135,635 posts)torius
(1,652 posts)he should recuse himself from all cases involving abuse of women. You get rejected from jury selection if the case is about robbery and your house has been robbed.
Butterflylady
(3,523 posts)My first husband was a super great guy to everyone, but behind closed doors he wasn't such a great guy and I have the scars to prove it.
Tucker08087
(621 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,356 posts)There will be hell to pay this time.
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)now' at the end of a discussion on the subject, MSNBC, MTP, Todd.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dianne-feinstein-what-in-the-hell-were-you-thinking?ref=home
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)"disarray".
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)But still tried to plant that seed...'Conflict' brings viewers & ratings!
LiberalFighter
(50,501 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)...they were fully prepared to trot out a letter designed to suggest Kavanaugh is not someone who would engage in sexual misconduct.
They knew this particular accusation might come up.
appalachiablue
(41,053 posts)'Within half an hour of the New Yorker publishing its story, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee released a statement signed by 65 women who knew Kavanaugh around the time of sexual assault allegation.'https://thinkprogress.org/kavanaugh-sexual-assault-accusation-grassley-letter-9be166300b7a/