Why Senate Republicans won't ferret out the truth about Brett Kavanaugh's past
By Helaine Olen
Opinion writer
September 27 at 11:46 AM
Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) would like us to know he’s quite concerned about the sexual assault allegations Christine Blasey Ford has brought against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. He took to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, just hours after Julie Swetnick became the third woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Flake called for us to remember that both Ford and Kavanaugh are humans who are suffering through a “very ugly process” and that Ford deserved to have her claim “aired and carefully considered.” For good measure, he went after President Trump for wondering why the teenage Ford didn’t go to authorities immediately after the event she described.
But did Flake suggest adding in Swetnick and Deborah Ramirez, who alleges Kavanaugh was grossly inappropriate toward her while they were both students at Yale University, to testify Thursday as well? And did he suggest postponing the committee’s vote on the nomination, currently scheduled for Friday morning, so that the senators can process any information gathered in Thursday’s testimony?
Surely you jest.
Flake’s speech, like many of his pronouncements, is a one of performative concern, signaling nothing. His words — like other similar statements from “well-intentioned” Republicans — are designed to sound as though Flake cares about women and cares about getting at the truth of all the allegations swirling around Kavanaugh.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2018/09/27/why-senate-republicans-wont-ferret-out-the-truth-about-brett-kavanaughs-past/
