Judge Kavanaugh, evidently stung by criticism that his testimony before the Judiciary Committee was intemperate and overtly partisan, has taken to the pages of the Wall Street Journal's editorial page to say he's not really like that. Sorry, judge, for noticing that you actually said, in your prepared remarks, "What goes around, comes around!"
I said a few days ago that Republicans plainly believe their best hope for confirmation is that the allegations against the judge remain in the realm of he-said, she-said. I don't think they've altogether succeeded, but, for those who want them to succeed, perhaps they've come close enough. There was an FBI investigation. It appears that, following orders from the White House, agents studiously avoided looking where the accusers told them to look, with the result that Mitch McConnell et al can crow about the allegations remaining "uncorroborated."
I see that "corroborate" is trending at merriam-webster.com. Another candidate would be "credible," because we've been told a zillion times that "her testimony was credible but uncorroborated"--a polysyllabic end run around the question: Who is most likely lying? The straightforward answer, recommended by the general principle that simple accounts are to be preferred to elaborate conspiracies, is that most likely he's lying, since it's easy to understand why he would--to protect his reputation and get a big promotion. Why would she? Well, she is a "good person" and a "credible witness" who is also, it seems, a liar and devious participant in a "hit job" and a "smear," the details of which remain murky, though it has to do with George Soros, naturally.
The cloture vote just occurred. Murkowski was a No; Flake, Collins, and Manchin voted to proceed with debate and a final reckoning tomorrow. Conventional wisdom holds that Manchin, a Democrat, will not supply the vote that elevates Kavanaugh. That is, if two Republicans vote No, then Manchin will, too. If that's right, Kavanaugh needs both Collins and Flake. Both regularly declare themselves to be concerned by almost everything Trump does. I think they are always so concerned because a stronger adjective might require them to do something about it. Well, they now have another chance to bring their vote into line with the perpetually furrowed brow.
Comments