There's more than a court appointment at stake here

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Let’s ignore whether Brett Kavanaugh’s behavior as a teenager predicts future character.

After all, who among us didn’t attempt a rape or two in high school? What parents didn’t raise their children, boys and girls, to understand it’s just how things work? And what evangelical preacher’s son of an evangelical preacher hasn’t taught us that attempted rapists “respect” their victims when they “walk away” after the girls lock themselves in bathrooms?

That aside, assume, for a moment, Professor Ford is being truthful. Is it hard to imagine how traumatized she’d have been? Might one understand her sense of injustice at seeing her attacker ascending to our nation’s highest court? Is it impossible to believe she’d feel compelled to speak out, for her own sake, if not for the country’s?

Consider other possible responses. What if Kavanaugh had the human decency to say, “I don’t remember the events, but I got so drunk in those days I can’t say they didn’t happen. If so, I’m deeply sorry, and I understand the anger and hurt. I hope people can believe I’m no longer that boy.” What if, instead of attacking Professor Ford, Republicans had expressed a modicum of empathy and understanding? Might it make approval more palatable?

None of that happened, of course; empathy and understanding aren’t who they are. Leaders and, evidently, most members of today’s Republican Party, including, amazingly enough, many women, don’t regard women that highly. Their responses to Kavanaugh’s accusers include only “she’s lying” and “what’s the big deal.” Comments coming from the Republican men on the Judiciary Committee (most of whom voted against the Violence Against Women Act) ought to appall all women and at least that subset of men who have wives, daughters, sisters or mothers.

Having elected a “president” who bragged about sexual predation, the reaction from the right is consistent. Trump’s amorality was well-enough known before the election that it must have been thought a positive by his voters, making their current attitude explainable.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-theres-more-than-a-court-appointment-at-stake-here/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=0d4adc87ba-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-0d4adc87ba-228635337

Having followed this writer for some time I'm inclined to think the second paragraph is sarcasm.

[cyclonefence]

1. Kav really backed himself into a corner

when from the start he depicted himself as a choirboy. It would have been easy, had he not made such flat, outraged denials, to have said that he did, indeed, drink a lot as a kid in high school and college, that he is sure he did do shameful things that he does not remember because of all the alcohol. He could even have said that although he has no memory of the attack, he believes Dr. Ford and wants to offer his deepest and sincerest apology for the terrible damage he did to her. He could say that since he has been an adult he has tried in some small measure to make up for his youthful bad behaviors by devoting himself to the cause of justice, especially justice for women--then talk about promoting women within the realm of law and the other things he's said he did.

He would still be scum, but I bet he'd have no trouble getting confirmed. The RW is too intent on making themselves the victims no matter what that they are blind to real life. His outrage and paranoia were frightening and disgusting to behold, but *in every way* he has brought this on himself.

Fuck him, sez I.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

2. LBJ used to have a beautiful embroidered pillow

given to him as a gift, in his private office that read:

"Fuck 'em all."

I'm going to take up embroidery.