senate confirmation hearings

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.