I originally planned to write a non-Kavanaugh Mess post this morning. I was naive. I should have known that all hell was going to break loose when I took a break from political news yesterday.
As you have surely heard by now, the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow have published another credible account of sexual misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh. This time it was while he was student at Yale and the accuser is a former classmate, Deborah Ramirez. In her student days, she was apparently a prim and proper type who preppie louts like Kavanaugh enjoyed taunting. Her story involves excessive drinking, flashing, ritual humiliation, and a dildo. I am not making this up. It almost makes one nostalgic for the quaint days when Douglas Ginsburg withdrew his SCOTUS nomination because he smoked pot.
Here’s what some smart ass had to say about it last night on the tweeter tube:
I wonder if Yale dildos are somehow classier than state university dildos? Perhaps they're ivy colored…
— Shecky (@Adrastosno) September 24, 2018
The dildo story reminded me of a bizarre moment from 1991:
The dildo in the Kavanaugh mess is threatening to eclipse the "pubic hair on the coke can" episode of the Thomas-Hill mess.
— Shecky (@Adrastosno) September 24, 2018
Increasingly, the Kavanaugh story is about privilege. The younger Kavanaugh comes off as an entitled prick who thinks his preppie pedigree allowed him to do whatever the hell he wanted. To say that the combination of alcohol, testosterone, and entitlement is a toxic cocktail is a grotesque understatement.
One mystery of the Kavanaugh mess is why he didn’t try the “repentant former drunk” gambit that was used by his ex-boss, George W. Bush. When the Blasey Ford charges emerged, it would have been wise to have said something like this: “When I was young, I had a terrible drinking problem. I drank until I blacked out and do not remember what happened when I was in that condition.” Such a confession might have served him well but it’s too late for what the Watergate creeps called a modified limited hangout.
Adding to Kavanaugh’s political hangover is the fact that Michael Avenatti joined the fray last night with a third entry in the Brett Kavanaugh sexual predation sweepstakes:
I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018
In typical Avenatti attack dog fashion, he went directly after Judge Flasher:
Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018
Does anyone want this guy up in their shit?
I’ve come to the conclusion that Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination is doomed. This shitshow has spattered every Republican involved. The reason Senate GOPers were so frantic to advance the vote is that they knew of the Ramirez allegations last week as they “negotiated” with Dr. Ford’s lawyers. This tweet by a former aide to Eric Holder nails the import of this move:
There’s a parallel to Mark Foley right before the 2006 midterms. A scandal that could have been confined to one individual ends up exposing the corruption of the entire GOP leadership who tried to cover it up. https://t.co/ejcWSqW05v
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) September 24, 2018
The end game is in sight. Here’s one possible scenario: Mitch McConnell will dispatch one of his minions to brief reporters in an off-the-record gaggle setting. The designated leaker will knife the nominee by telling the press that Kavanaugh does not have the votes and should withdraw. Presumably, the withdrawal cake will be baked and Kavanaugh will step aside so he can spend more time with his calendar. Then, McConnell will give an interview to Politico and/or Axios who will spin it as a some sort of victory for the “wily” majority leader.
There’s no way the deeply cynical McConnell is willing to die on the proverbial hill for a nominee he did not want to put forward in the first place. This is Trump’s debacle: he was so focused on his own legal problems that he didn’t listen to his allies on the Hill. Heckuva job, Trumpy.
Republicans will try to use the Kavanaugh fiasco to gin up their evangelical base but the impact among women voters is likely to far outweigh that. As I’ve said before, this is a lose-lose situation for the GOP, and their attempts to cover-up the second allegation and rush to a committee vote has already blown up in their faces. Repeat after me: if Kavanaugh has done nothing wrong, why are he and Senate GOPers opposed to the FBI re-opening the background check? This is how guilty people act, not those with nothing to hide.
I decided to stick my neck out and make some predictions because I can no longer see a path to confirmation for Brett Kavanaugh. Could I be wrong? Hell, yes. Nothing surprises me any more.
Finally, I no longer expect a hearing on Thursday; sometime in the next 24-48 hours, Kavanaugh, like the old school Catholic he claims to be, will practice the withdrawal method and exit stage right.
LATE AFTERNOON UPDATE: Mitch McConnell gave a speech blaming Democrats for the Kavanaugh nomination going haywire. I’m not sure if this means he’s digging his heels in and plans to fight or if this is the prelude to cutting Kavanaugh loose. If Republicans are thinking rationally, they’ll cut their losses. I still don’t think the Turtle is willing to jump off a cliff to save Kavanaugh but if he does, Democrats win politically.
Stay tuned.
“There’s a parallel to Mark Foley right before the 2006 midterms. ”
Update the bumper sticker!
GOP
20062018: COME FOR THE CORRUPTION, STAY FOR THE PEDOPHILIA!The classics never go out of style.
Kavanaugh MIGHT pull out, but I’m thinking that McConnell is looking to cement his legacy. This is quite a power play to pull off: I didn’t want this nominee, but having been saddled with him, I jammed his nomination through the Committee, to a floor vote, and onto the Supreme Court, where he spent three decades dicking over Americans, kowtowing to corporate whims, and making the rich richer all nice and legal-like. Everyone knew what a skunk he was, everyone knew I didn’t really want him, but I held my caucus together and installed him anyway. One last finger in the eye of the majority of the American people who hate me, hate my politics and programs, and who were ultimately powerless to stop me.
Glad you didn’t take that break.
I expect to hear from more women.