The Kavanaugh controversy

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm listening to Sen. Collins speak. She hasn't said so yet, but she is definitely going to vote yes.

[Cerin]

yov, I would guess they're responding to the partisan nature of the battle, rather than expressing enthusiasm for sexual assault.

[yovargas]

No doubt.

[Frelga]

No doubt.

Was that sarcasm? I couldn't tell.

[elengil]

I'm listening to Sen. Collins speak. She hasn't said so yet, but she is definitely going to vote yes.

Agreed.

[yovargas]

No doubt.

Was that sarcasm? I couldn't tell.

Not at all. I agree with Cerin that it is almost certainly about partisan tribalism than anything else. It's just a damn us vs them game to most people. Rah Rah, go team.

UGH.

[Cerin]

I'm impressed by Collins. She articulated the presumption of innocence dilemma well.

[elengil]

Yep, she just indicated she would vote yes.

[Frelga]

No doubt.

Was that sarcasm? I couldn't tell.

Not at all. I agree with Cerin that it is almost certainly about partisan tribalism than anything else. It's just a damn us vs them game to most people. Rah Rah, go team.

UGH.

Well, if being us requires overlooking sexual assault and belligerent drinking for, let me repeat, a lifetime position of supreme power, instead of appointing a different candidate, then I'll be over there with the them.

And before I take another stab at staying out of this forum - I would not be surprised if supporting a man accused of sexual assault does have something to do with the increased support among Republicans. Power over women's bodies has long been part of the perks package of "successful" men. How many men are now worried about their own actions suddenly having consequences?

[elengil]

How many men are now worried about their own actions suddenly having consequences?

A fear stoked by the President who thinks this is a scary time for men - for sons and husbands. Yeah, let's not consider how terrifying it has always been for women, wives, and daughters.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Manchin also put out a statement confirming that he will vote yes, so it is definitely a done deal.

Based on Collins' comments, I would say that there is a very good chance that the nomination would not have gone through if Avenatti had not gotten involved.

[elengil]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/pl ... 6c5d59ca7a

Interesting take on the FBI investigation being kept concealed.

[IdylleSeethes]

If you didn't listen to Susan Collin's statement, you should. Her support of Kavanaugh is secondary. After the insanity of the last few weeks, she spoke in favor of order and justice in carrying out the responsibilities of government, as opposed to unsupported accusations and mob rule. It has been many decades since I have heard a politician make such an eloguent and reasoned statement.

[Cerin]

One wonders how the Republicans and Democrats could come away with such different views of the same report. I think it could only mean that whatever Warren is talking about doesn't have to do with the main allegations, which is what concerned Republicans and apparently the FBI.

What interests me more is that a Republican Senator said that things in the report made him very angry. I wonder if that has to do with the FBI looking into who talked to whom about what. (Sorry, I don't remember where I read that.)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

If you didn't listen to Susan Collin's statement, you should. Her support of Kavanaugh is secondary. After the insanity of the last few weeks, she spoke in favor of order and justice in carrying out the responsibilities of government, as opposed to unsupported accusations and mob rule. It has been many decades since I have heard a politician make such an eloguent and reasoned statement.

Anyone who knows Susan Collins should have known that the kind of pressure tactics that opponents of the nomination used was the best way to get her to vote for the nomination. She is a typically stubborn, independent Mainiac (I say that with love in my heart, having lived with a typically stubborn, independent Mainiac for the past almost 33 years). I thought her defense of Judge Kavanaugh's judicial record, while detailed and well-researched, was cherry-picked and frankly naive, and I think she may come to regret it when he proves to be the deciding vote on many of the very issues that she cited. I also came away from her comments convinced that any chance of the accusations of sexual misconduct derailing his nomination ended when Michael Avenatti got involved. Whether or not Julie Swetnick's allegations had any merit, the way he presented them was so ridiculous and outside the bounds of legal ethics that it was bound to disgust someone like Sen. Collins, and that was very apparent in her comments.

One wonders how the Republicans and Democrats could come away with such different views of the same report.

One is left to wonder, since the report is and will be kept out of the public view. It seems odd, if the report is so exculpatory, why the Republicans are so determined to keep it private.

[elengil]

One is left to wonder, since the report is and will be kept out of the public view. It seems odd, if the report is so exculpatory, why the Republicans are so determined to keep it private.

I wonder if there is a chance it'll be made public after November, if the majority shifts.

But I also have little expectation of much changing except to continue the downward spiral.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

One is left to wonder, since the report is and will be kept out of the public view. It seems odd, if the report is so exculpatory, why the Republicans are so determined to keep it private.

I wonder if there is a chance it'll be made public after November, if the majority shifts.

Doubtful, even in the increasingly unlikely event that the Democrats take back the Senate. As I understand it, the justification for keeping the report private is a memorandum of understanding that had previously been entered into between the Senate and the executive branch. In order to release the report both the Senate and the administration would need to agree to amend the MOU. Even if the Senate agreed to amend it, I doubt the president would.

However what is more likely is that the Democrats take back the House and initiate their own investigation.

ETA: I saw this right after I posted that: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4101 ... -house?amp

Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk

[Cerin]

It might have been better to keep that under wraps. I could see that promise/threat being used to turn out the Republican vote.

[Frelga]

For once I agree with Cerin. Any threat that begins with an if is an empty threat.

[yovargas]

Well, if being us requires overlooking sexual assault and belligerent drinking for, let me repeat, a lifetime position of supreme power, instead of appointing a different candidate, then I'll be over there with the them.

Which would be great if you are convinced to that your team would not behave similarly if the situations were flipped. I am not especially convinced of that.