The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican Super PAC, has raised over $100 million, causing the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to be concerned for first-time candidates that are fundraising on their own.
Shenandoah Valley’s Solar Industry A Lodestar For Agricultural America
While the Shenandoah Valley may not be synonymous with the South’s breadbasket forever, it can be a lodestar for agricultural America by transitioning, albeit slowly, to becoming more prosperous, and being part of an energy revolution in America, which would preserve farming communities for generations to come.
House Republicans Release Politically Neutral, Race-Blind Redistricting Map
“While we maintain the constitutionality of the bipartisan plan adopted in 2011 and will continue to pursue our appeal to the Supreme Court, we are introducing a map today to demonstrate to the District Court and the public that you can, in fact, draw a politically-neutral, race-blind remedial map,” said Speaker of the House Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights).
Senate Approves $854 Billion Spending Bill To Stop October Shutdown
“These milestones may sound like inside baseball, but what they signify is a Senate that is getting its appropriations process back on track; a Senate that is attending to vital priorities for our country,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said.
Congressional Candidate Ben Cline Speaks About His Plans For Washington At Sixth District Debate
GOP candidate Delegate Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) and Democratic challenger Jennifer Lewis faced off in their first debate Monday at Spotswood High School in the Harrisonburg area just eight weeks before voters decide who will succeed Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) after he retires.
Ties Between Brett Kavanaugh’s Mother And His Accuser’s Family Causing More Confirmation Hearing Turmoil
Recently, ranking Senate Judiciary Committee member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was sent a letter from Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-18), who received it from someone affiliated with Stanford University, which entailed an alleged incident between Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and a female with whom he went to high school in suburban Maryland decades ago. Days after the news of the mystery letter surfaced, its author has finally been revealed.
The Washington Post reports that Christine Blasey Ford, a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, wrote the formerly confidential letter charging that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, with the article on the alleged incident stating that Ford feared for her life and that Kavanaugh “might inadvertently kill me.”
CNN reported the full text of letter sent to Senator Feinstein. Ford stated in letter:
“Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s. He conducted these acts with the assistance of REDACTED.”
The allegations have drawn a blanket denial from Judge Kavanaugh who has stated, “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.” The situation has continued the roiling nomination process that has made the confirmation hearings of nominees Robert Bork in the late 1980s and Clarence Thomas in the early 1990s look like an absolute cakewalk.
One interesting development that occurred today detailed that Ford, not herself but her family, has another connection to Judge Kavanaugh, not himself but his family. An article from Powerline details the narrative discussed on the Rush Limbaugh Show today that ties together the families of Ford and Kavanaugh. Court documents show that Judge Martha Kavanaugh, Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s mother, ruled against Ralph and Paula Blasey, Christine Blasey Ford’s parents, in a foreclosure case over 20 years ago.
A few details of the 1996 case over which Judge Martha Kavanaugh presided were relayed via Twitter, containing mostly embedded tweets from a the user, but also two screenshots from Maryland’s case search site. Laura Ingraham also tweeted out a story from America First Media Group that details the development.
According to a report from Mediaite, the foreclosure case “was dismissed before the judge had to rule on it,” and the property “is still in the family’s name.”
The Daily Caller stated that public records show that at the end of the case, adjudicated in the Montgomery County Circuit Court system, Judge Martha Kavanaugh “did not rule on decisions related to possible seizure of the property. Rather, it appears the Blaseys reached a settlement with their bank before their property was lost.”
As well, it was reported that Judge Martha Kavanaugh “granted uncontested motions brought by UMLIC [United Mortgage & Loan Investment Corporation] to dismiss the case after the settlement was reached,” which appears to be the extent of her involvement in the matter.
Furthermore, on the grounds of person political affiliation, Fox News reports that Ford is a “registered Democrat who has given small monetary donations to political causes,” donating to ActBlue, a non-profit group that aims to help Democrats and progressive candidates. She has also given money to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Friends of Bernie Sanders, according to filing reports from the FEC.
Ford is also one of the thousands of medical professional signatories who supported a Physicians for Human Rights letter in June decrying the practice of separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border and urging the Trump Administration to cease the actions.
Additionally, there are pictures surfacing on the Internet with Ford attending rallies wearing a pink “brain cap,” those that were inspired by pink “p**** hats,” which are often worn at women’s groups marches, alluding to increased levels of her left-leaning political activism in the Trump era.
Another interesting twist in the story as told by the Pacific Pundit is that Ralph Blasey III, Ford’s brother, was formerly employed at the Washington, D.C., offices of Baker & Hostetler LLP – the same firm that made payments of over $500,000 to Fusion GPS.
Fusion GPS is the research firm that paid former British spy Christopher Steele to conduct reconnaissance on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. However, the article states that Ralph Blasey III was not employed by Baker & Hostetler at the time of the “Steele dossier” formulation, which posited that then-candidate Trump was colluding with Russian officials to sway the 2016 election.
Regardless, Ford has stated through her lawyer, Debra Katz, a whistleblower attorney who works with “#MeToo” survivors, that she is willing to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about the alleged incident. A date has not yet been set.
“The fact that Kavanaugh’s mother ruled against Ford’s parents doesn’t prove Ford is lying,” the author of the Powerline piece says. “Her allegation, coming so many years after the fact,” however, “having been presented so late and with little detail as to time and place, is probably not susceptible to being ruled out means that, if not ‘ruled in’ conclusively, the story should not preclude Kavanaugh’s confirmation. We have statutes of limitations for a reason.”
Last week, a letter, signed by 65 women from a wide range of political backgrounds, all of whom have known Judge Kavanaugh in the past, stated that the Supreme Court nominee “has behaved honorably and treated women with respect,” with the signatories relaying information about how the women have known him over the years and how he has “stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee is still slated to vote on the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh Thursday, but it seems that this new development could delay that. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that Ford could possibly testify as early as Tuesday, to rectify the recently-surfaced allegations against the nominee.
The one word – the only word – that can accurately describe these situations and the entire confirmation hearing process of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court is – wait for it – unprecedented.
Barbara Comstock Wins 87 Percent Of The Vote In Winchester’s Hob Nob Straw Poll
In an outstanding victory, Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock garnered 205 votes to Democrat challenger Jennifer Wexton’s 29 during a straw poll at the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber’s annual political mixer held at Handley High School in Winchester.
Federal Court Creates Redistricting Contingency Plan For Virginia As Impasse Continues
As the problems with redrawing Virginia’s legislative districts continue, a federal court as decided that a court-appointed expert may be the solution if the October 30 deadline is missed. Nevertheless, it has led to the popularity of a non-partisan, independent redistricting commission to increase, but such a measure would require a constitutional amendment.
The Kavanaugh Mystery Letter Senator Feinstein Has That Ronan Farrow Is Trying To Break
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been railing against the document dump the night before the beginning of the days-long confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh; however, there are now calls of hypocrisy as a Kavanaugh-related document is in the possession of the panel’s top Democrat, who refuses to disclose it. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) holds a letter, reportedly from a California constituent, wherein in purportedly describes an incident involving the Supreme Court nominee and a woman while they were in high school decades ago.
As reported by The Intercept, news of the alleged incident was relayed to someone affiliated with Stanford University, who authored the letter and sent it to Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-18), which was then passed on to Feinstein.
This week, Feinstein was approached by Democrats on the committee about the letter, but she refused to inform even her own party about its contents. Democrats say they want their own opportunity to gauge whether or not the letter should be made public, rather than leaving it to Feinstein to make that call herself.
The only thing known about the woman who is the subject of the letter is that she is now being legally represented by Debra Katz, a whistleblower attorney who works with “#MeToo” survivors.
According to a press release from the senator’s office, all Feinstein has had to say is, “I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities.”
Even though the alleged woman’s name was redacted in the correspondence, apparently Ronan Farrow knows more about the situation than anyone. As stated in Hot Air (ironic), here’s the scoop:
“The allegation dates back to the early nineteen-eighties, when Kavanaugh was a high-school student at Georgetown Preparatory School, in Bethesda, Maryland, and the woman attended a nearby high school. In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.”
Judge Kavanaugh has stated, “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.” Even a classmate of his said, “I have no recollection of that.”
Farrow has been one of the arbiters of investigative reporting during #MeToo movement. In nearly every case he has covered he cites testimony from friends and family of the alleged victim, creating an entire picture of an incident. However, when it comes to Judge Kavanaugh and the mysterious woman, none of that is provided. There is no mention of a friend, family member, nurse, doctor, police report – nothing. Considering the woman is said to have sought psychological help to deal with her distress, there should at least be some type of evidence.
Following this development, a tweet was sent out from the Senate Judiciary Committee about a letter than was sent to Feinstein and the committee’s chairman Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The letter, signed by 65 women from a wide range of political backgrounds, states that Judge Kavanaugh “has behaved honorably and treated women with respect,” with the signatories relaying information about how the women have known him over the years and how he has “stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity.”
On Twitter, the correspondence from the committee’s page says:
“65 women of bipartisan backgrounds who knew Judge Kavanaugh in high school: “For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect” & has “stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity” #SCOTUS”
The Sacramento Bee reports that Feinstein’s 2018 election opponent, California State Senator Kevin de León, says the ranking member’s actions are evidence of “a failure of leadership.”
“The American people deserve to know why the Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee waited nearly three months to hand this disqualifying document over to the federal authorities and why Sen. Feinstein politely pantomimed her way through last week’s hearing without a single question about the content of Kavanaugh’s character,” de León, a fellow Democrat, said in a statement.
As the days pile on and the chaotic scene within the halls of the upper chamber continue, it seems that Democrats, undoubtedly, are looking for a “gotcha” moment – tantamount to the Anita Hill controversy during the confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas. These hearings have gone far beyond that, and are even more petulant than those occurring when Robert Bork was nominated to the Supreme Court.
The highest court in the land is supposed to be non-political.
Well, it still is, and will always be.
However, what is political is the circus-like atmosphere on the Hill that is reported by those in the media as “news.” There is no news here; it’s character assassination broadcast from sea to shining sea.
Virginia’s August Tax Revenue Up, Money May Be Used For A “Welfare Bonus”
Will Governor Northam act to reform Virginia’s conforming tax code, or will he institute a sweeping welfare bonus paid for by middle-class Virginians?