**Kavanaugh hearing*** 2 - Dr. Ford's opening statement

[underpants]

Thread 1
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11191140

[underpants]

1. Sweet voice. "The boy who sexually assaulted me"

[ecstatic]

3. I think it's higher pitched due to being nervous

I know this isn't easy for her and she's really nervous. She's doing a great job though!

[maryellen99]

2. This makes my heart break for but am not surprised

And -45 thinks she should’ve told her parents?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/27/1799182/-Dr-Ford-s-Father-Won-t-Publicly-Support-Her-Because-He-Fears-Being-Booted-By-Country-Club

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

66. I will confirm for you that this story is true-unfortunately

Without delving into personally identifiable material, I will tell you that this was related to me by one of Dr. Blasey's fellow club members last week. The good Dr. was beside himself not knowing just how he should react to recent events. After describing how tough it was for him to interact with Dr. Blasey because he just didn't know what to say (don't you feel his pain?), he added "you know, I hear she didn't have the greatest reputation in high school". Lovely. These are loathsome individuals. The best thing I can say about them is that if the actuarial tables are accurate, they will soon pass from our midst.

[Funtatlaguy]

4. Voice is cracking. Hard to watch. She is very credible.

[Satch59]

5. She's heartbreaking...

She's every girl...every woman who's been assaulted...

This is powerful...

Kavanaugh is screwed...Or GOP is screwed if they push him through.

[underpants]

10. Second front door

[cyberswede]

11. Agree...my god.

I heard Rachel Maddow read the statement last night, but hearing Dr. Ford read it herself is heart-wrenching.

[MoonRiver]

19. Yes, I'm on the verge of tears.

She has had to deal with a lifetime of panic attacks and terror that her attacker would come after her again.

[AngryOldDem]

6. She is a true profile in courage.

Wow. I cannot imagine the emotions she is feeling as millions listen.

[rurallib]

16. and then the Repugs will bring in their hired gun

to rip on her.

Lord I feel for this woman

[AngryOldDem]

22. I am crying.

Because I know what she is in for. Having a woman leading the questioning is just for show.

[nolabear]

7. I wish I could watch 45 watching this. I wish we all could.

[RockaFowler]

8. I'm crying

He doesn't belong anywhere near any court

He is a monster along with Mark Judge

[NewJeffCT]

9. Thanks for doing these threads

twitter is blocked at work, so I can't follow it there

[underpants]

14. Dude this is brutal

She had a second front door put in her house. Escape.

I have teen girl and this is brutal to listen to. She wasn't had this but....oh god.

[nolabear]

12. Thanks for being here, DU. I wouldn't want to be watching this alone.

[underpants]

15. Tough. Brutal.

[Gothmog]

13. I believe Dr. Ford

[underpants]

18. No question

Detailed and personal.

[avebury]

17. I believe her.

I am not on twitter but someone needs to start hash tags along the lines of #IBelieveHer #WeStandWithDrFord It needs to go global.

[demmiblue]

20. Outside the hearing, there are groups of women, huddled over phones streaming Dr. Ford's testimony,

Outside the hearing, there are groups of women, huddled over phones streaming Dr. Ford’s testimony, crying.

Link to tweet

[hlthe2b]

21. I'm pretty weepy myself...

[mcar]

23. Tears in the hearing room

[underpants]

24. "I am no one's pawn" facts. Truth.

This is the most devastating soft spoken sweet toned thing I've ever heard.

[grantcart]

25. Very intelligent woman

[underpants]

26. Yes

"I can read quickly"

[BumRushDaShow]

27. DiFi - 140 letters (friends, colleagues) put in the record

and 1000 female physicians (into the record).

[demmiblue]

28. checking in on trump world

Link to tweet

[underpants]

32. Cult

Fight against the water.

[NewJeffCT]

33. They're still bringing up Kennedy and Chappaquiddick 50 years later

sigh...that dead horse has been beaten so many times.

[Jim__]

29. The republican questioner gets to complete her line of questioning.

She has sequences of 5 minutes; but she gets to continue with her question. When a democrat's time is up, their line of questioning ends.

[chelsea0011]

30. So, Grassleys notes he handed the prosecutor before hand to ask witness are to show that this

is all a Democratic Deep State plot.

[DeminPennswoods]

31. Just devastating testimony

I knew it would be powerful coming from the victim, but this was far more than I had anticipated. I think even the hired gun atty believes her. And Grassley seemed discombobulated by it, too.

[NewJeffCT]

38. of course, Democrats & Deep State plotted this out in the early 80s

because they foresaw high school drunkard Kavanaugh becoming a SCOTUS nominee in 2018.

[avebury]

34. Dr Ford is very precise in describing

how she remembers what she reported. She is making one hell of a great witness.

[nolabear]

39. Her explanation of the neurology of PTSD was outstanding.

I salute her!

[underpants]

35. My first job was working at a Winn-Dixie. Mark Judge worked at a Safeway ....

after being at a prep school.

[kairos12]

36. Let the character assassination begin.

[Hotler]

37. My heart breaks for Dr. Ford.

I'm streaming it and find it painful to watch/listen to.

[brooklynite]

40. I have a theory about the "5 minutes only" approach to questioning...

Here's a theory: the Republicans know they can't aggressively cross-examine Dr. Ford without looking cruel; the 5 minutes only approach is to limit her ability to cohesively respond to any of their questions.

[NewJeffCT]

42. I think it's also to prevent Democratic cross examination

of Kavanaugh to get too in depth. Harris, Klobuchar and some others are very good at cross examination

[underpants]

45. Manipulating time

You can't stop it but you can use it to your advantage

[underpants]

41. Sen. Leahey "bravery is contagious "

[bettyellen]

43. "Indelible is their laughter.... I was underneath one of them... they were having a good time."

Searing.

[demmiblue]

44. Most indelible moment... the laughter.

[nolabear]

46. "Two friends having a really good time with one another." She said it PERFECTLY.

This is going better than I’d imagined. She is speaking for us ALL. Every therapy patient I’ve ever had with PTSD has had this kind of response.

[honest.abe]

48. Can you explain a bit more what this means and the significance for those of us not watching?

Thanks!

[nolabear]

62. She was being guided by thecquestion and took it back to accuracy.

The attempt wasn’t designed to counter her, it was just presented as “they were laughing at you” and she very carefully said they were laughing with each other over what they were doing to her. She wasn’t even there. And that is the predatory nature of the act.

She is amazing.

[honest.abe]

65. Ah got it! Yes that was perfect.

Thanks so much!

[avebury]

47. Mitchell is working towards making

the point that no one else there supports her story. Mitchell is being very methodical.

[Jim__]

49. It also sounds like she is probing for inconsistencies.

Could you hear them speaking? Could you understand the conversation? Your letter says you heard them talking loudly. Then asking about where she lived. It sounds like she expects to trip her up on some details and raise some questions about the accuracy of her memories.

[demmiblue]

50. Thread: The shaky, hoarse voice of Christine Blasey Ford is echoing around the White House, ...

The shaky, hoarse voice of Christine Blasey Ford is echoing around the White House, on speaker on numerous televisions. Reporters and staff are hushed, listening to her explain her accusations against Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump is traveling home from New York City, on board the presidential helicopter during her opening statements. He arrived at JFK airport and boarded Air Force One at the start of the question-and-answer portion of her testimony.

Q Not a case of mistaken identity?
FORD: “Absolutely not.”

Trump is watching the hearing and Christine Blasey Ford on delay aboard Air Force One, Sarah Huckabee Sanders says.

The president hasn't talked to Kavanaugh in the last couple of days, she says.

Link to tweet

[bettyellen]

51. Grassley sounds inappropriately angry.

[PA Democrat]

52. MSNBC analysts saying Mitchell is failing in her efforts to put Ford on trial.

[dweller]

53. the bearded guy to the right of Dr. Ford

is her lawyer?
he looks familiar

[bettyellen]

54. I'd think so.

[hlthe2b]

56. She has two lawyers, the female to her right and the man is Michael Bromwich

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211165765

Read the thread above to learn about him


The female attorney is Debrah Katz-- a very prominent DC civil rights attorney

[underpants]

58. To her right isa Hillary related lawyer

Debra Katz

[procon]

63. That's Michael Bromwich, a former federal prosecutor and

Department of Justice inspector general, he's also Andy McCabe lawyer. He's a top notch lawyer and he just resigned his position in private practice to assist Dr Ford.

[DeminPennswoods]

99. I thought I saw him rolling his eyes when Grassley was

giving his opening statement.

[BumRushDaShow]

72. He is like a splitting image of my governor (of PA)

[dweller]

82. thanks all

knew about Bromwich joining

[kairos12]

55. Just checked Faux News. They are losing their minds. They said Mitchell is a disaster.

[brooklynite]

60. Are they blaming Grassley and the Republicans for setting it up this way?

[kairos12]

71. Yes. They are saying the strategy of Mitchell questioning is a disaster. It will be

interesting to see if the Reich Wing Senators tell her to take a different tact for the next session.

[FarPoint]

74. She's only laying the trap...

This female prosecutor had the pathology of Cathy Bates from Misery and Nurse Ratchet from Coo- Coo's Nest. Her knife is behind her back....

[nolabear]

64. For once they're right. But look what she has to work with.

Dr. Blassey Ford is a hero in all senses of the word. I hope they choke on this. Just reported that Spanky is watching on Fox and is seeing their freakout. 😃

[honest.abe]

67. That's a good sign.

[PA Democrat]

57. The female former prosecuter on MSNBC coverage said this hearing

(specifically talking about Grassley) is an argument in favor of term limits and said Grassley needs to go back to Iowa.

[demmiblue]

61. She was fierce!

[AnotherMother4Peace]

59. Has Grassley said Dr. Blasey's name at all? He keeps referring her to as "she" & "her".

[avebury]

68. Listening from work and had to take a phone

call right after they called the break. What was the MSNBC analysis of the hearing so far?

[BumRushDaShow]

69. Am watching on CSPAN3 and the very first caller

was an asshole who said something along the lines of "if he were the 'prosecutor' doing the questions, he would have "taken her to the woodshed". These jackass men are vile.

[NewJeffCT]

70. Chris Wallace on Fox - "This is a disaster for Republicans"

wow

[Reader Rabbit]

73. Good.

Although any disaster for them is still less than they deserve.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

75. Doesn't that kind of sum up the mess we're in?

Who cares if it's a disaster for Republicans (or a victory for Democrats for that matter). How about, this is good that the truth is coming out. That Dr. Ford gets her chance to tell truth to power and let everyone know that what happened to her is not acceptable-no matter how long ago. That it's a good day for America. Hopefully we'll be able to say it's a good thing we dodged the bullet of putting that ass hole on the Supreme Court. That's what this really should be about.

[demmiblue]

76. And Trump is watching Fox on Air Force One.

[uponit7771]

90. +1

[BeyondGeography]

77. Whitehouse laying the hammer down yet again

The only background investigation in history to be stopped as derogatory information comes out.

[underpants]

79. Whitehouse riped them a new one

[redstatebluegirl]

78. It is heartbreaking, at times you can see the young girl she was at that time and it is horrible.

[avebury]

80. Grassley hates being reminded

that the Rethugs have obstructed any thorough investigation of Kavanaugh.

[BumRushDaShow]

81. Grassyass was barely able to last 2 hours before his meds wore off.

[AngryOldDem]

83. What's the point about grilling her about air travel?

Her dislike of flying somehow makes her unreliable?

I hate flying, too, but if I wanted to go to a bucket list destination like where she’s been, I’d deal with it. Likewise, while I would prefer someone come to me to interview me (which should have been the case anyway), I wouldn’t let my fear of flying preclude what I feel is my duty to speak.

Also, I call bullshit that because she can’t remember down to the nanosecond what happened when, it puts the whole incident in doubt. I know when I remember things from 30-plus years ago, it’s placed in the context of a season, or event. Not June 25, 1983 at 3:56:13 p.m. this happened...

And as for her not remembering how she got home from the party...simple. She’s blocked it out. Completely understandable.

I hope the GOP pays mightily for this insulting farce.

[underpants]

85. Rightwing talking point

It soaks up air time. They don't have any answer on this.

[PA Democrat]

86. I recall hearing that she had a fear of flying which was a byproduct of

her fear of confined spaces caused by her assault.

Mitchell is trying to paint her as a liar or at a minimum exaggerating.

[GoCubsGo]

97. It's an attempt at smearing her credibility.

"She is afraid to fly, but look! She flew out here! She is such a liar!" I guess they don't understand that some people will do things even though they're afraid to do them. It's kind of ironic that Mitchell even brought up Dr. Ford's fear of flying. The only reason she is there is that a bunch of nasty, old men are too afraid to question Dr. Ford themselves.

The GOP slit their own throats here. The only question is how far will they bleed out from it.

[Solly Mack]

84. Growing up, I was raised by a single mother with little to non-existent input from my father.

My way of letting the world know that I know why I'm about to say what I'm about to say.

I simply can't abide a man lecturing me. Don't lecture me. Don't puff up like you're some father figure and think - for a single instance - that I give a flying fuck what you have to say - or how important you think you are to the process.

Yes, part of this comes from being a grown woman now, who will walk away from any man getting his mainsplain quota in for the day.

But the truth is, since childhood - No. Just no.

Men played no role in my upbringing and I felt the same way about Uncles trying to be something they were not and would never be.

No man will ever be - not even my own father. The "Father" figure in my life.

I was raised by women - nine of them.

Their husbands (of those who had one), my Uncles, were superfluous to the shaping of my life.

They were family but they had as much say as the stranger down the street.

I loved them - I just didn't need them to be anything but the husbands of my aunts and the fathers of my first cousins.

And I didn't even need them to be that.

Long after I was an adult my father tried to go all stern on me and I laughed in his face.

Men simply were not important to my day to day. As a little girl I could see me having children. I could see that clearly. Their father on the other hand was someone in the shadows, if he existed at all.

I like men. Just don't see them in the same ways usually thought of in a family dynamic.

Like I said, raised in a family of women, by women, where women lead the way. Women Knew Best - always.

All that was a preface to this:

I would have long ago walked across the floor and slapped the shit out of Grassley.

[bdamomma]

87. K&R

nt

[underpants]

88. Blumenthal calling out Lindsey to his face.

[displacedtexan]

89. I'm really glad the republicans forced this hearing today.

Had they done the decent thing (canceling and withdrawing Kavanaugh's nomination), they could've hidden their despicable behavior and belief in the less-than-human existence of women.

Grassley has no idea how horrible his legacy will be. 'Tis a ponderous chain he's forged in his life, to say the least. And he's not done yet.

[uponit7771]

93. +1, the prosecutor can't be effective cause she has to do the investigation real time on TV while ..

... attempting to lower credibility which doesn't work cause she doesn't know the form or format of answers.

They screwed the pooch here

[demmiblue]

91. The flying line of questioning is going to be the talking point for the right.

Link to tweet

Such meaningless bullshit.

[Goodheart]

92. The Dems on this committee are landing body blows

KABOOM after KABOOM

[underpants]

95. Polygraph on the day or after her Grandmother's funeral

Ooh that's PR gold.

[Hav]

94. "Have you ever given tips in how to take a polygraph"

After she just said she took only one and got no tips herself by other people. Is this lawyer stupid?

[uponit7771]

98. +1, the prosecutor is stuck cause she has to do an investigation at the same time question Ford in

... adversarial way.

Ford is human, Grassley is coming off as an ass

[AngryOldDem]

96. Lunch recess.

Time for Grassley to get his daily bowl of bile.