“Evidence matters. Any politician parlaying these unproven or discredited claims into an impeachment demand is a shameless, dangerous demagogue. There should be repercussions for such obscene recklessness.”
(Guy Benson – TownHall) Now that we’re revisiting the Kavanaugh mess — bring it on, I wrote this morning — it seems worthwhile to revisit the known facts of each supposedly ‘credible’ accusation leveled against him. This insight strikes me as exactly correct, in terms of assessing the tactics, motives, and goals of the smear brigade. It’s a deeply cynical pattern:
Rich Lowry tweeted:
The M.O. of Kavanaugh’s critics all along has been to try to prop up each dubious and uncorroborated allegation with yet another dubious, uncorroborated allegation. The pathetic NYT excerpt is just the latest example
Charles C.W. Cook’s response to Rich Lowry’s tweet:
And then to say, “well if there is nothing there, why are there so many dubious, uncorroborated allegations?”
(1) Christine Blasey Ford. Kavanaugh’s most credible accuser, despite some notable contradictions. Her story is the highest profile, culminating in an extraordinary and emotional day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her claim about Kavanaugh was serious and deserved to be considered as such. Setting aside the terrible, undeniably partisan timing of Democratic leaks, Ford’s decades-old recollection is matched by no contemporaneous corroboration or evidence. None of the four alleged witnesses she places at a key party recall anything like it, with several issuing flat denials. Her close female friend at the time, another named ‘witness,’ not only failed to corroborate the story, she’s since told the New York Times that she does not personally believe Ford’s story (“it just didn’t make any sense”). She also says she was pressured intensely to alter her stated memory in such a way that would hurt Kavanaugh, a finding confirmed by the FBI. Ford’s own father reportedly supported Kavanaugh’s confirmation, suggesting that he also did not believe the allegation. Ford’s attorney recently admitted that abortion jurisprudence was a motivating factor in her client coming forward to point the finger.