Brett Kavanaugh accused by several women of sexual assault right before elections

[Nicky91]

President Donald Trump again came to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's defense at the UN on Wednesday
He called Kavanaugh a 'gem'
He said Democrats were playing a 'con game' and
Earlier he disparaged Deborah Ramirez, 53, the second woman to come forward with accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh
Trump said Ramirez herself conceded she was 'totally inebriated and all messed up'
Ramirez accuses Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her during a college dorm party while at Yale in the 1983-84 academic year
Christine Blasey Ford says she was 15 when Kavanaugh, then 17, sexually assaulted her in 1982
Accusations threaten to derail Kavanaugh's nomination to the SCOTUS seat vacated by the retiring Anthony Kennedy
Kavanaugh and Ford are set to testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday

President Donald Trump unloaded on Democrats as he defended his embattled Supreme Court nominee, claiming they have treated Brett Kavanaugh 'very unfairly' and charged they were running a 'con game.'

Trump picked up on his twitter attack from Tuesday night, and talked up Kavanaugh on a day his lawyer was defending his high school drinking habits while accuser Christine Blasey Ford released affadavits from people who asserted she told them about her assault allegation.

'I know this particular man, Judge Kavanaugh. He’s outstanding. You don’t find people like this. He’s outstanding,' Trump told reporters at the UN, as Kavanaugh's youth was being put under the microscope.

Of Kavanaugh, who released his high school 1982 calendar on Wednesday, Trump said: 'He’s a gem. He’s an absolute gem. And he’s been treated very unfairly by the Democrats who have been playing a con game.'

Trump continued with his fiery rhetoric. 'They know what they’re doing. it’s a con. They go into a back room and they talk with each other. And they laugh at what they’re getting away with. It’s a con game and that’s what they play. And that’s about the only thing they do well,' he said, before abruptly ending a media availability.

Trump was continuing pushback from Tuesday night, when he accused Democrats of using a 'con game' to try scuttling Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

The president tweeted late Tuesday: 'The Democrats are playing a high level CON GAME in their vicious effort to destroy a fine person.
'It is called the politics of destruction. Behind the scene the Dems are laughing,' he wrote.

'Pray for Brett Kavanaugh and his family!'

Trump also tweeted a quote by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who told Fox News that certain members of the FBI were out to 'destroy' the president.

'These law enforcement people took the law into their own hands when it came to President Trump,' Graham said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump also disparaged the account of the second woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, saying she herself conceded she was 'totally inebriated and all messed up.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6210359/Trump-unloads-Democrats-playing-game-tear-Kavanaugh.html

[Nicky91]

Donald Trump defending Brett, and calling him a gem, well tbf most who were in Trump's employment, that's 5 of them had been charged with sexual assault claims, sexist claims

so basically we can now say whenever Trump praises or likes someone, we need to look into that person's background, which is what Trevor Noah said from the daily show

[arista]

Yes the Democrats are rushing to get more victims
any way possible to stop him getting the job.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Accusation from 1982??

Gods teeth the reaching is pitiful

[arista]

In a few hours
the 1st Lady Christine Blasey Ford is in Court today,
reported as scared.

It is one at time Ford , then after her , Kavanaugh goes in.

https://e3.365dm.com/18/09/536x302/skynews-christine-blasey-ford_4435287.jpg?bypass-service-worker&20180927143102

It's her word against his.



Meanwhile a 3rd Lady
claims Gang Rape

[arista]

Live Now
Ford is ready to speak in the Court.

All TV news

[Maru]

Yeah, I'm listening/watching it on CSPAN now.... already very partisan... The republicans this... the democrats that...

[Smithy]

Trump is friends with a rapist?

Shocking :idc:

[arista]

She is talking and half crying

[arista]

Trump is friends with a rapist?

Shocking :idc:


They will say she is mistaken,
but the way she is talking
it looks like The Democrats
could stop him getting the Top Job.

[Tom4784]

Yeah, I'm listening/watching it on CSPAN now.... already very partisan... The republicans this... the democrats that...

Sadly this hearing is all very pointless because of it. He could have raped someone in front of them all and the votes wouldn't change. The same thing will inevitably happen here that happened to Anita Hill in 1991.

Have they accused her of being a scorned woman yet or something of the sort? I imagine that's how they'll spin it before long.

[arista]

She appears very Honest

Kavanaugh will have a hard time getting
his side heard.
Bound to be Protesters again

[arista]

Its no good moaning about Reporters
sneaking into her college
she gave it to a press man.

She may need body guards after this.

[Crimson Dynamo]

i just heard her "performance" on the radio


:rolleyes:

[bots]

There is no rush to confirm him. They have a queue of other conservative judges a mile long that would get accepted. If there is even an element of doubt on this guy, he just shouldnt be accepted.

[arista]

After a Break

its Live again all media

[arista]

There is no rush to confirm him. They have a queue of other conservative judges a mile long that would get accepted. If there is even an element of doubt on this guy, he just shouldnt be accepted.


very true.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Live on Fox News right now

[Maru]

The main issue for me is that this incident had already came to light before they even selected a nominee, when Kavanaugh was on the short-list. My understanding is they (Democrats; Senator Feinstein) sat on this lady's letter until it was far enough along that Republicans couldn't pull Kavanaugh out as a candidate... that tactic makes sense because Democrats don't want another Republican-nominated judge in the Supreme Court... the constitution (as written) is a massive inconvenience for progressives in terms of installing barriers to the across the board policies that they (progressives) prefer and Kavanaugh being a constitutional originalist would present major issues for them politically in achieving the changes to our govt their platform is based on...

A lot of voters, including my husband's parents, voted for Trump simply to rebalance the Supreme Court. The Democrats started the problem when they changed the rules for nomination to make it easier for the majority party to slam through nominees. I guess they never expected to lose the majority, because now it is being used against them...

Probably if Republicans don't vote/push him through, it will effect them negatively come the November mid-terms. I would say it's certain to...

So they have interest in pushing him through despite this case... the other part of that, it would then be on the courts/constitution to handle any new claims that come out. Which is going to be an evidence-based case... and obviously would be a higher bar to pass in this case with a very old sexual assault claim(s) lacking key details... so far it seems like this is where this is going...

[Maru]

There is no rush to confirm him. They have a queue of other conservative judges a mile long that would get accepted. If there is even an element of doubt on this guy, he just shouldnt be accepted.

That's not how it's worked out in recent memory. Probably anyone new would go through similarly intense scrutiny and the opposing side will use every tactic/smear tactic to slow the nomination down. Especially this close to November... for example, Merrick Garland... these types of proceedings have become really petty...

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Garland

On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Garland to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia. The Senate refused to hold a hearing or vote on this nomination made during the last year of Obama's presidency, with the Republican majority insisting that the next elected President should fill the vacancy. Senate Republicans' refusal to consider the nomination was highly controversial. Garland's nomination lasted 293 days and expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

[arista]

https://e3.365dm.com/18/09/536x302/skynews-brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford_4435399.jpg?bypass-service-worker&20180927154857

He can not get the Job
after this lady first sentences:



LIVE: 'I tried to yell – he put hand over my mouth': Kavanaugh accuser speaks out
https://news.sky.com/story/live-first-kavanaugh-accuser-prepares-to-give-evidence-at-hearing-11510331

[Underscore]

I've just watched her testify and it was so upsetting... me and my mum were nearly in tears... there's no way she's lying

[Maru]

This is so exhausting to watch. I can only imagine for anyone who has to testify...

[Maru]

The prosecutor looked genuinely upset the way this is seemingly being handled... she credited her on her knowledge of psychology and the chemical reactions... this prosecutor's focus area is interviewing sexual assault survivors in particular and she asked if anyone offered her another option. And said that the best option really, was for her to have seen a forensics expert, been allowed to talk most of the time and tell her story as she recalls... I think she called it something like a cognitive interview... but that would seem more pleasant than sitting in that room with all these blood-thirsty politicians looking to get hit points...

I do think she is telling the truth and as she remembers it is how she remembers it, but her memory is not the most trustworthy.. and equally so, my stomach churns at the idea of convicting someone on the basis of "convincing" testimony versus evidence... it does go against what we would normally call a fair system... if they dropped him, it wouldn't be the worst thing, but kind of unimaginable if she is remembering these details and it ends up being the wrong person... so many different details about both people coming out, from people uninvolved and not, and some self-contradictions... she does seem very easily flustered, personality-wise... couldn't remember fairly recent details which I know at least I would remember ... in a way, it makes it more convincing, because we could see in her person where it becomes a jumbled mess for her with high stress levels... but on the other hand, it could be said to be very convenient given the line of questioning she was asked... but understandable she wouldn't have known (or cared) the more sordid details about some of the pro-bono stuff, imo...

I like how they got mad though, "This isn't supposed to be a trial!"... yet they're demanding an FBI investigation. :facepalm: November will be very interesting to see how the public reacts to this and all the other shenanigans that have been going on thanks to our wonderful Congress since 2016...

[bots]

i think she is telling the truth too Maru. I still think they will push him on to the supreme court though

[Maru]

i think she is telling the truth too Maru. I still think they will push him on to the supreme court though

Maybe. Maybe not?... I'm hoping at least they will pass to FBI for a look or subpoena the other guy who was there (Mark Whatshisface) ... I had read someone said it only took about 3 days for FBI to look at it... which seems really short, but I think it's possible depending on how "deep" a look it is... can't be very deep if it was 30+ years ago... but especially to vet these new claims, I think would be important to have testify under oath in order to get to the source of it... (testify to the FBI, not this nonsense)

[Maru]

Kavanaugh about to start testifying... my god he looks sleep-deprived... and mad :skull:

[arista]

yes he is Angry

[rk3388]

i just heard her "performance" on the radio


:rolleyes:

disgusting comment.

[bots]

Kavanaugh is coming across very aggressive and angry .... not the sweet little kid... who would never drink or treat a woman badly .......

[Maru]

Opening statements

7M2FE3Va2Mg

lL94tAsjYfk

[Maru]

Kavanaugh is coming across very aggressive and angry .... not the sweet little kid... who would never drink or treat a woman badly .......

He's come out with guns blazing and then some... but he keeps very precise records of things he did when he was younger from his father... that's pretty remarkable... I keep a daily planner (fail to keep regularly :skull:) and a couple of journals... it's helped with things like doctor's records and recalling health history, for work... etc

But I died @ the whole "fffffff" entry&explanation... :joker:

[Northern Monkey]

Obviously nobody knows the truth.Just from seeing them both i think I believe him tbh.But really who knows.

[Maru]

Obviously nobody knows the truth.Just from seeing them both i think I believe him tbh.But really who knows.

It feels like a case of mistaken identity and it is really really sad...

[bots]

i think he is flat out guilty

[Maru]

Brett Kavanaugh and the tears of a bully
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/09/27/brett-kavanaugh-and-tears-bully/J8PkbzqwcqSz8Fbk02UEYI/story.html?p1=BGMenu_Article

So men aggressive, bad... but when he cries, he's bad too?...

It was supposed to be he-said, she-said. Not she-said, he-cried.

But don’t be fooled: they were the tears of a bully. Brett Kavanaugh was as mad as a privileged white man can be at the prospect of losing a coveted seat on the US Supreme Court to a girl who wasn’t part of his Georgetown Prep social circle back in their high school days. How dare someone like that mess up the careful career plan he built upon fealty to Republican smear tactics?

Alternating between sobs and flashes of white-hot rage, Kavanaugh went before the Senate Judiciary Committee and poured every ounce of emotion he could summon into saving his nomination. He vehemently denied the allegation of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford, along with other allegations of sexual misconduct that have surfaced over the past few days. He blamed the attacks on Democrats, generally, along with “pent-up anger” over the 2016 election, and “revenge on behalf of the Clintons” — presumably because of his role in the Ken Starr investigation of Bill Clinton. Calling the questions about his integrity a national disgrace, he told the committee, “You have replaced advise and consent with search and destroy.”

It was reminiscent of Clarence Thomas and his defiant charge of a “high-tech lynching” after Anita Hill said that Thomas sexually harassed her — plus major-league blubbering. Emotion flowed when Kavanaugh talked of his father’s calendars, which are the reason, he said, he kept his own and saved the one from 1982 that notes nothing about the gathering described by Ford. He also teared up at the thought of not being able to teach law or coach basketball again, because of allegations against him.

Earlier in the day, Ford’s testimony about an alleged sexual assault in the early 1980s by Kavanaugh was dignified, powerful, heart-wrenching, and totally credible.

It’s true Ford didn’t remember details of time and place, and she was honest about acknowledging those lapses. But she did remember, with chilling recall, the laughter, “the uproarious laughter” between Kavanaugh and his high-school buddy Mark Judge at the time of the attack. “I was underneath one of them while the two laughed. Two friends having a really good time with one another,” she said.

And she was absolutely certain of the identity of her attacker.

“With what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?” asked Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois.

“One hundred percent,” Ford replied.

The professor from California nailed her appearance before the committee. The cloud her testimony casts on Kavanaugh’s character should be enough to end his nomination to the Supreme Court.

Republicans could easily find another conservative to undermine Roe v. Wade. If they stick with Kavanaugh, he will have cried his way onto the highest court of the land.

And they say women are too emotional?

[bots]

it was the way he avoided answering questions, and then when being asked questions by women, shouted them down. Is this really supreme court material?

[Marsh.]

Opening statements

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lL94tAsjYfk

3:53 vs 44:39 :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

[Maru]

3:53 vs 44:39 :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

First one is supposed to be full but didn't read timestamp... I hate YT -_-

[Marsh.]

First one is supposed to be full but didn't read timestamp... I hate YT -_-

Oh so it's just more edited than the other one? :laugh:

Thought the difference was too staggering to be an accurate representation of their statements. :laugh:

[Maru]

Oh so it's just more edited than the other one? :laugh:

Thought the difference was too staggering to be an accurate representation of their statements. :laugh:

Yeah, I just looked at the timestamps and most are around 20 minute mark or so?... which seems right as she focused on a prepared statement, which I pre-read... it wasn't that long. Kavanaughs seemed to go on much longer...

You know how it is with YT, they post up these unnecessarily short clips just so they can get impressions... -_- like how I search BBUK episodes, get a 40 minute video of powerpoint presentations...

I updated my post in the first video for full length.

His testimony was much much longer... but she didn't want to be there after a little while, said she was getting tired... I believe her, I was so tired watching her testify... it looked very emotionally draining...

[Maru]

it was the way he avoided answering questions, and then when being asked questions by women, shouted them down. Is this really supreme court material?

Just for my part, how he spoke is no different than any other impassioned judge we have here. Jury duty and whatnot, there's a lot of things like this that get said off-the-record, including opinions on current events. I've seen judges on-record and off-record become quite impassioned... and that's how it came off to me. More impassioned about our system and the rule of law, than angry about his situation. I think the issue was more about how the media/democrats took it to another level and gamified these proceedings... also consider the gang-rape rumors and other related speculation that the opposition party didn't go out of their way to play down.. in fact, the opposite, they called him evil and encouraged a smear campaign despite lack of evidence...

I think criticism over his temperament when he was being flippant can be used against him in being approved, but with the way our Congress has been, but off and on-record, his behavior isn't necessarily extraordinary when considering the times we are living in atm. Fact-based conservatism hasn't seemed to work in terms of restoring civility and I think there's a backlash too in the background from Republicans in terms of thinking "Enough is enough"... they've done the nicer politics, even during times when they were the minority party, the olive branches, etc, and clearly that's not the times we're living in anymore...

I think I would've made a similar deduction, that in his position, I don't think it would've gone in my favor for me to have played a more sweeter character. I think though his testimony was angry and at times, quite irate... he didn't hide how he felt, which is something to consider too. If her feelings matter, his should as well, their impressions of this entire fiasco... if he is being wrongfully accused, then this is not only a traumatic situation for not only him, but for his family... so yeah, I think some room for vulnerability is allowable...men and women react very differently to high stress situations... I know me, I cry when I'm frustrated, but I'm to the point about my feelings when I think as I do, and I see no point in waffling in how we feel... if someone in that position is too nice, they're going to call them a liar anyway, with the state of our cultural&political discourse... so might as well put it all out on the table and go out with 0 regrets... he seemed to imply he was toast, but not sure how much I really believe that...

I do think November midterms will be a referendum on #Metoo. Not these proceedings as others have said. Amongst the other things that have gone on since the presidential election. I'm really concerned about this counter-culture that is becoming more accepting towards convicting people with just accusations and circumstantial evidence... this would never have been acceptable for women or minority folk, this atmosphere of suspicion that is being created. So it's a bit sad to see the media getting a pass on this when obviously this is not the direction most folk (imo) would want the country to go... I don't know how much DC reflects us, but from my personal experiences, not very much...... I think if I look up politics from now on, I will tend to just focus on the details and avoid opinion-based sources... both sides are doing a good job of creating opinion-based journalism that operates off feelings rather than an examination of details & comparing facts.. most of our news now is opinion-based journalism, not surprising with how many things in our life is being gamified (social media, infotainment, even education)... I wouldn't blame the media for this situation though... I think the lady rightfully came out of if this is her legitimate claim. Obviously, his testimony matters too with how the witnesses have not gone in her favor and in the fact he kept meticulous records of daily events & social gatherings... and int his case, it's not clear who is right or wrong... and thankfully, the outcome won't by opinion because who the hell wants that job? :skull:

Edit: I just recalled. The last time I was in a court was for jury selection... right after the election and our judge was retiring (as so many are walking away from politics)... but he had a group chat with us afterwards talking about the times we now find ourselves after the hearing... basically, he wouldn't be there for that so he could comment a little, but he seemed to look back on his years of service in the community and said everyday was a different/unique experience... never got old for him...

[bots]

Checking reactions online from other Americans, they seem to raise similar sentiments to me. Perhaps it does very much depend on political leanings .... Maybe in American terms I'm a loony lefty :worry:

[Maru]

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's belief.[1][2]

We're all victims now :laugh: It is important to recognize the signs...

[hijaxers]

i just heard her "performance" on the radio


:rolleyes:

His performance made me titter , even the news readers had a sneaky grin.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I just dont see how this goes any further than

she said


he said?

[arista]

I just dont see how this goes any further than

she said


he said?


But there is 2 other women.

[Crimson Dynamo]

But there is 2 other women.

yes just like in many of the cases in the UK when people came forward to besmirch a celeb only to find that it was a tissue of lies

time will tell

[arista]

It will be amazing if he gets the Job,
after the rape claim - that can not be Proved.

[Zizu]

His performance made me titter , even the news readers had a sneaky grin.



He came across as guilty as hell ..you're right his performance kinda reminded me of a Saturday Night Live sketch :)




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[arista]

They are now voting on him
if he can get the job.

Live all media

[Tom4784]

It's so obvious he's lying through his teeth. He did all the tricks, trying to shout down accusations, white girl tears, emotional manipulation by trying to bring his daughter into it.

The whole tactic of getting a bunch of women to vouch for him is transparent and pointless. Few people who commit sexual assault seem like they are likely to do it, when you get a rapist or someone found guilty of sexual assaults you always get people who never thought they were capable of doing it. None of these women can vouch for his actions on the nights of the accusations.

Republicans should let him go, it'll only hurt them if they try to push him through. There's plenty of other candidates that will help them undo Roe Vs Wade...sadly.

[arista]

The Democrats Demand a FBI Investigation?

But that's a waste of time
No Physical evidence

[Crimson Dynamo]

this whole thing has been a shocking waste of money and time full stop

[arista]

Around 90mins to go
to find out if he gets the job.

[Northern Monkey]

Does seem very strange how this has come out now.Why not 1982 or ‘83 or ‘84.....or anytime in the last 36 years?
A cynic could’nt be blamed for thinking it looks like some kind of stitch up.

[Zizu]

Does seem very strange how this has come out now.Why not 1982 or ‘83 or ‘84.....or anytime in the last 36 years?
A cynic could’nt be blamed for thinking it looks like some kind of stitch up.



Not really if you saw her testimony


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zizu]

Around 90mins to go
to find out if he gets the job.



Something wild is happening!?!

Chaos seconds before the vote


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[arista]

Now a 2 hour brake

[Oliver_W]

I'd not heard of either party before all this. I'm gonna be cautiously sceptical - the timing is suspect, and tbh I'd be angry and overly emotional if such false claims were aimed at me. Which side does the available evidence point toward, hers or his?

[Maru]

I feel both Ford & Kavanaugh (key word: feel) were both victimized in some way yesterday... whoever was telling the truth, I don't think it was fair to them to play political football with both their lives & and their families... it made for very toxic viewing yesterday and I feel a bit deceived/patronized having watched it...

Maybe they need to have a process for serious sexual allegations like this where they are automatically put into investigation under penalty of law (if intentionally false).. so 1) that victims know they will be heard... 2) The accused get a fair hearing in a timely manner... and particularly 3) People aren't sending random letters to partisan senators who then will use it as fodder to fuel their political theater and stoke the press...

I don't feel that he will be confirmed, but the Republicans may do so simply because they have a lot to lose not to confirm him. It will be seen as their failure, either because they selected the wrong nominee or because they didn't have a stiff enough backbone... I guess pick one of those...

Anyway, some readings for today...

Kavanaugh’s Yearbook Page Is ‘Horrible, Hurtful’ to a Woman It Named
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/24/business/brett-kavanaugh-yearbook-renate.html

Full excerpt: During a Fox News interview on Sunday, the Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh rebutted claims of sexual abuse. But some are questioning his characterization of his high school and college years.Published OnSept. 25, 2018CreditCreditImage by Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press

Brett Kavanaugh’s page in his high school yearbook offers a glimpse of the teenage years of the man who is now President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee: lots of football, plenty of drinking, parties at the beach. Among the reminiscences about sports and booze is a mysterious entry: “Renate Alumnius.”

The word “Renate” appears at least 14 times in Georgetown Preparatory School’s 1983 yearbook, on individuals’ pages and in a group photo of nine football players, including Judge Kavanaugh, who were described as the “Renate Alumni.” It is a reference to Renate Schroeder, then a student at a nearby Catholic girls’ school.

Two of Judge Kavanaugh’s classmates say the mentions of Renate were part of the football players’ unsubstantiated boasting about their conquests.

“They were very disrespectful, at least verbally, with Renate,” said Sean Hagan, a Georgetown Prep student at the time, referring to Judge Kavanaugh and his teammates. “I can’t express how disgusted I am with them, then and now.”

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Judge Kavanaugh’s years at Georgetown Prep, in a Maryland suburb of Washington, are under intense scrutiny because of allegations by Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her during high school. Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegation. He and Dr. Blasey are scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Judge Kavanaugh’s peers have given different accounts of what he was like. But his yearbook provides a contemporaneous glimpse of the elite Catholic school’s hard-drinking atmosphere — Judge Kavanaugh’s personal page boasts, “100 kegs or bust” — and a culture that some describe as disrespectful to women.

This month, Renate Schroeder Dolphin joined 64 other women who, saying they knew Judge Kavanaugh during their high school years, signed a letter to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is weighing Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination. The letter stated that “he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect.”

When Ms. Dolphin signed the Sept. 14 letter, she wasn’t aware of the “Renate” yearbook references on the pages of Judge Kavanaugh and his football teammates.

“I learned about these yearbook pages only a few days ago,” Ms. Dolphin said in a statement to The New York Times. “I don’t know what ‘Renate Alumnus’ actually means. I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment.”

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Alexandra Walsh, a lawyer for Judge Kavanaugh, said in a statement: “Judge Kavanaugh was friends with Renate Dolphin in high school. He admired her very much then, and he admires her to this day.

“Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Dolphin attended one high school event together and shared a brief kiss good night following that event,” the statement continued. “They had no other such encounter. The language from Judge Kavanaugh’s high school yearbook refers to the fact that he and Ms. Dolphin attended that one high school event together and nothing else.”

Judge Kavanaugh mentioned Renate Dolphin on his yearbook page, his lawyer said, because of one high school event they attended together “and nothing else.” Address and some names have been obscured.

Ms. Dolphin said she had never kissed Judge Kavanaugh. “I think Brett must have me confused with someone else, because I never kissed him,” she said through her lawyer.

In an interview on Fox News on Monday, Judge Kavanaugh defended his high school behavior in general terms. “People might have had too many beers on occasion and people generally in high school — I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit,” he said.

A White House spokesman, Raj Shah, declined to comment beyond the statement from Judge Kavanaugh’s lawyer.

Four of the men who were pictured with Judge Kavanaugh in a photo captioned “Renate Alumni” said it was simply a reference to their dating or going to dances with Ms. Dolphin.

An elite Catholic boys’ high school founded in 1789, Georgetown Prep has many alumni who have gone into public service. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch of the Supreme Court is a graduate, as is Jerome H. Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Judge Kavanaugh, a member of the football team and the captain of the basketball team, played a prominent role in Georgetown Prep’s firmament in the early 1980s. The school’s culture was one of heavy drinking and at times insensitivity.

The 1983 yearbook, for example, includes multiple apparent references to the Ku Klux Klan (but not on Judge Kavanaugh’s page). His page, in addition to the “Alumnius” entry, mentions his role as “treasurer” of the “Keg City Club.”

“The vast majority of the time I spent in high school was studying or focused on sports and being a good friend to the boys and the girls that I was friends with,” he told Fox News on Monday.

Some of Judge Kavanaugh’s high school peers said there was a widespread culture at the time of objectifying women.

“People claiming that they had sex with other people was not terribly unusual, and it was not terribly believable,” said William Fishburne, who was in Judge Kavanaugh’s graduating class and was a manager for the football team. “Not just Brett Kavanaugh and his particular group, but all the classmates in general. People would claim things they hadn’t done to sort of seem bigger than they were, older than they were.”

Bill Barbot, who was a freshman at Georgetown Prep when Judge Kavanaugh was a senior, said Judge Kavanaugh and his clique were part of the school’s “fratty” culture. “There was a lot of talk and presumably a lot of action about sexual conquest with girls,” Mr. Barbot said.

Ms. Dolphin was a subject of that braggadocio, according to Mr. Hagan and another classmate, who requested anonymity because he fears retribution. They said Judge Kavanaugh and his friends were seeking to memorialize their supposed conquests with the “Renate” yearbook references.

Judge Kavanaugh, far left, and eight football teammates in a yearbook photo. “I don’t know what ‘Renate Alumnus’ actually means,” Ms. Dolphin said. “I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue.”

“She should be offended,” Mr. Hagan said of Ms. Dolphin. “I was completely astounded when I saw she signed that letter” on Judge Kavanaugh’s behalf.

Some women who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time defended his conduct.

“These guys weren’t any different than other boys high schools across the country,” said Suzanne Matan, a friend of Judge Kavanaugh’s from their high school days. “And I chose to hang out with those boys and many other girls did, too, because they were fun, and they were safe, and they were respectful.”

The Georgetown Prep yearbook’s personal pages were designed and written by the individual students, according to alumni. A faculty adviser reviewed the pages.

Judge Kavanaugh was one of 13 graduating seniors who referred to Ms. Dolphin in some way on their personal pages. Some gave themselves titles — DeLancey Davis, for example, listed himself as “chairman of the Bored” of the “Renate Club.” Another football player, Tom Kane, mentioned on his page “Renate’s Suicide Squad.”

The group photo, with Judge Kavanaugh and eight fellow football players in pads and uniform, grinning, was captioned “Renate Alumni.” Mark Judge, the commentator and author who has written about his alcohol-fueled years at Georgetown Prep, stands next to Judge Kavanaugh in the photo.

Barbara Van Gelder, a lawyer for Mr. Judge, declined to comment.

Four of the players in the “Renate Alumni” photo — Mr. Davis, Mr. Kane, Tim Gaudette and Don Urgo Jr. — said in a statement that they had “never bragged about” sexual contact or anything like that with Ms. Dolphin. The statement, issued by Jim McCarthy, a public-relations representative, said the yearbook’s “Renate” references “were intended to allude to innocent dates or dance partners and were generally known within the community of people involved for over 35 years.”

“These comments,” the statement continued, “were never controversial and did not impact ongoing relationships until The Times twisted and forced an untrue narrative. This shabby journalism is causing egregious harm to all involved, particularly our friend, and is simply beneath contempt.”

Michael Walsh, another Georgetown Prep alumnus, also listed himself on his personal yearbook page as a “Renate Alumnus.” Alongside some song lyrics, he included a short poem: “You need a date / and it’s getting late / so don’t hesitate / to call Renate.”

Mr. Walsh, a bank executive in Virginia, was one of scores of Georgetown Prep alumni who signed a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders vouching for Judge Kavanaugh’s “sharp intellectual ability, affable nature, and a practical and fair approach devoid of partisan purpose.” He did not respond to requests for comment.

Ms. Dolphin was aware that members of Judge Kavanaugh’s clique were reciting that poem, according to a person familiar with her thinking. She told the football players that she found it offensive, believing it made her seem like a cheap date, and she asked them to stop.

Some of Judge Kavanaugh’s peers said they doubted that the yearbook notations were good-natured. “Those guys weren’t big on crushes,” Mr. Fishburne said. “I think they felt that if a girl didn’t want to date them, then they must be gay. I’m serious.”

A high school friend of Ms. Dolphin’s, who also signed the letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that while she stood by the letter’s contents, as a friend of Ms. Dolphin’s she was “sickened” by the yearbook’s “Renate” references. She and a second friend of Ms. Dolphin’s denied that there was any sexual contact between Ms. Dolphin and Judge Kavanaugh or anyone else in his circle.
'Renate Alumnius' entry was NOT about sex - though he admits 'Ralph Club' was about vomiting from beer
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6216503/Kavanaugh-APOLOGIZES-female-classmate-described-high-school-yearbook-entry.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490

The Casual Cruelty of Laughter; Christine Blasey Ford's Testimony
https://theslot.jezebel.com/the-target-of-a-mans-laughter-1829387225/amp

I recognize that shaky, watery laugh, the laugh of a woman in a situation light years from funny. Yesterday, near-tears and loud anger were available to Kavanaugh; they were not available to Ford, not if she wanted to remain “credible” to that panel and to the rest of America. Her testimony was woven from deep breaths and slowly composed sentences and patience, so much patience. The only thing she was allowed to project loudly was helpfulness and an eagerness to accommodate. In contrast to the chillingly familiar image of “uproarious laughter,” there was laughter at a man’s dumb joke as a defense mechanism.
I recognize that shaky, watery laugh, the laugh of a woman in a situation light years from funny. Yesterday, near-tears and loud anger were available to Kavanaugh; they were not available to Ford, not if she wanted to remain “credible” to that panel and to the rest of America. Her testimony was woven from deep breaths and slowly composed sentences and patience, so much patience. The only thing she was allowed to project loudly was helpfulness and an eagerness to accommodate. In contrast to the chillingly familiar image of “uproarious laughter,” there was laughter at a man’s dumb joke as a defense mechanism.

A commentor:

I, too, found myself laughing this week. Not because anything was funny, but because it was so far from funny. “Laugh to keep from crying” is the hoariest cliché imaginable; the phrase is so threadbare that it fails to convey that it feels like claws raking the inside of my throat. Without ever having raised my voice, it feels like I’ve spent the whole week screaming.

Yes, me too. Exactly this.

Also: men’s laughter at women is an additional or alternate form of violence

11 Md. lawmakers call for Montgomery County investigation into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/several-md-lawmakers-call-for-montgomery-county-investigation-into-sexual-assault-allegations-against-kavanaugh/2018/09/26/48e00584-c1b5-11e8-b338-a3289f6cb742_story.html?utm_term=.913a2fd51562

Full excerpt: Several Maryland lawmakers representing Montgomery County are calling on local law enforcement officials to investigate the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, arguing the state’s statute of limitations may not apply to some allegations.

“We request an investigation be conducted if Christine Blasey Ford or other complainants support such an investigation,” reads the letter, which was signed by 11 of the 24 members of the county’s House delegation. “We believe local law enforcement has the authority to investigate allegations of crimes without need for a formal complaint, and we further believe third parties have standing to bring such complaints.”

The letter from the Democratic lawmakers comes on the eve of Kavanaugh’s hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. It is signed by Dels. Kumar Barve, Al Carr, Bonnie Cullison, Ariana B. Kelly, Marc Korman, David Moon, Pam Queen, Kirill Reznik, Shane Robinson, Ana Sol Gutierrez and Jeff Waldstreicher.

Capt. Paul Starks, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Police Department, said Wednesday the department is aware of the letter and is preparing a response to it. He noted that Montgomery detectives follow a “victim-centered” model for sexual assault investigations and cited a statement on the Kavanaugh allegations released by the department two days ago.

The statement read, in part: “The department recognizes that victims of sexual assault may not want to involve law enforcement and/or initiate a criminal investigation, and we respect that position. The department, however, stands prepared to assist anyone who reports being the victim of a sexual assault.”

Earlier this month, Ford went public with her allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. She said he corralled her into a bedroom during a gathering of teens at a house in Montgomery County more than three decades ago.

Since Ford’s allegation, two other women have come forward with allegations against Kavanaugh. He has denied all the accusations.

“County officials may be within the jurisdiction to pursue such an inquiry and are uniquely positioned to investigate publicly announced allegations of sex assaults that may have occurred within our borders,” reads the letter, which was sent to the county chief of police, the county prosecutor and attorneys Michael Avenatti and Debra Katz, who each represent one of the three accusers.

Last week, state Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) wrote a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan (R) asking him to direct the state police to investigate. Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said in a statement that state police are “free to investigate any matter in accordance with established procedures. The governor has never used the state police to pursue investigations at his personal whim. That is a very dangerous and slippery slope.”

In a separate statement, the Maryland State Police said: “It is the policy of the Maryland State Police to initiate a criminal investigation when a criminal complaint is filed. There has been no complaint filed with the Maryland State Police regarding this issue.

“In addition, the Maryland State Police has a memorandum of understanding with Montgomery County that requires any crime of this nature to be investigated by the Montgomery County Police. As such it would be the responsibility of the Montgomery County Police to investigate an alleged sexual assault.”

[Maru]

Now a 2 hour brake

I'm not listening atm... yesterday was exhausting enough ._. ... maybe I will tune in soon though after I make my coffee...

I'd not heard of either party before all this. I'm gonna be cautiously sceptical - the timing is suspect, and tbh I'd be angry and overly emotional if such false claims were aimed at me. Which side does the available evidence point toward, hers or his?

@Bold Yeah, same.

It's hard to say which way the "evidence" leans, because it depends on what we call evidence and whether we consider the testimony of certain witnesses is credible... there's a lot of chats with media, but those are not under oath. The ones in favor of Kavanaugh have been done under oath with the FBI (?) if iirc... there's a lot of hearsay, speculation and emotional arguments going both directions, but that's not surprising given the media circus this has become...

The burden of proof is on her to have proven her case, but she's doing one side a political favor and so partisan media and that side are going to give here a lot of passes, even if she's not consistent in portions of her testimony... it isn't fair on his end because these are last minute claims and will literally ruin his life even if they're not true...

I haven't read every single fact on the case though, so that's my impression of what I've read so far... I think it would take a trial/investigation to sort tbqh...

Speaking of investigations...

ScxinwZXGnk

Republican Senator Jeff Flake calls for a one-week delay of the Senate floor vote to provide for FBI investigation.

[Robodog]

CNN: Democrats have hijacked metoo for political gain

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/26/opinions/democrats-have-hijacked-metoo-for-political-gain-sheffield/index.html

[bots]

CNN: Democrats have hijacked metoo for political gain

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/26/opinions/democrats-have-hijacked-metoo-for-political-gain-sheffield/index.html

thats just one element of it though. It deserves an FBI investigation, it deserves that those identified as involved be questioned.

That's where the bulk of the frustration seems to lie

[Marsh.]

I just dont see how this goes any further than

she said


he said?

But you seem to have concluded she's a liar, so surely it does go further?

[Maru]

bTeyV1LSQvM

Sc8x-1xMGxI

[Maru]

From this morning, Mark Judge letter (#2 I think):

https://i.imgur.com/id4QtV3.jpg

[bots]

I'm glad Donald listened to my concerns and has ordered an FBI investigation, even if it is very limited. Lets see what the week brings because it's already been shown that Kavanaugh lied under oath.

[Maru]

You'd think listening to the hysteria on both sides, we won't have a country in a week... :laugh: Guys, if I stop posting... it's the civil cyber war...

[Maru]

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/silence-on-wall-street-tears-in-a-retirement-home-the-country-watches-transfixed-as-ford-tells-her-story/2018/09/27/09de532a-c261-11e8-97a5-ab1e46bb3bc7_story.html?utm_term=.dbc2468d83e3

Silence on Wall Street. Tears in a retirement home. The country watches, transfixed, as Ford and Kavanaugh tell their stories.

https://i.imgur.com/Pgxcdpr.jpg

LAKE WORTH, Fla. — “It looks like she’s crying,” said Hilda Darkins, 71, as the very long day began. Around her, a group of retirees were sitting around circular tables at the Mid-County Senior Center, watching TV. Several retirees were dabbing their own eyes. “Who can blame her?”

On the TV, two senators were arguing. Then Christine Blasey Ford began to speak. Myrtle Facey, 78, looked at her and tried to make a judgment about someone she had never met.

“She looks scared, and she looks nervous. But I think she’s telling the truth,” said Facey, a retired cashier. “She may have waited a long time to talk about it, but this is something that will never leave you, no matter what happens. You always remember it. You may not think of it every day, but it will always be with you, just like learning the ABCs. You never forget.”

Hours later, at a cigar lounge in Houston, retired police office Merg Meraia, 54, was drinking a Diet Coke and smoking an Ashton Monarch cigar. Brett M. Kavanaugh’s fiery defense, his voice cracking, convinced him that the Supreme Court nominee was being honest when he denied sexually assaulting Ford.

“If he was even-keeled, I would probably think that maybe we’re not hearing the entire truth about his past,” Meraia said. Instead, Meraia said, Kavanaugh’s reaction showed how deeply he’d been hurt: “The emotion is coming from him saying, ‘I want you guys to know that I really am a good person.’ ”

Thursday’s hearing of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee — called to investigate Ford’s allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee — transfixed Americans like few events in recent history.

People listened on cellphone speakers in subway cars and doctors’ waiting rooms. The New York Stock Exchange got quiet. The Capitol’s hallways emptied. At the Department of Housing and Urban Development, so many people watched Ford’s testimony from their desks that the IT department warned they could overwhelm the network.

What they saw was a drama in two vastly different parts.

The second part — Kavanaugh’s emotional defense of his innocence and his reputation — was highly unusual in the staid history of Supreme Court hearings. It could have helped save his nomination or helped derail it, depending on how a few GOP senators react.

The first part — Ford’s testimony about the alleged assault, and the shadow it cast on her life — had a different resonance. People cried in airplane seats. They called into C-SPAN to tell their own stories of sexual assault.

For a few hours, Ford told a tale of private pain before a massive public audience. In her story, many viewers saw their own.

People watched to see a woman speak, without knowing yet who would believe her.

“16A: Crying. 14B: Crying. 17C: Weeping,” Ron Lieber, a New York Times columnist, wrote on Twitter from a flight headed from New York to Salt Lake City, listing the reactions as passengers watched the hearing on seat-back televisions. “I am one of the criers.”

As the hearings began around 10 a.m., some of the busiest places in the country fell quiet. At the New York Stock Exchange, Brad Smith — an anchor for the news site Cheddar — said normally frenetic traders were all watching the TVs. Phones rang in the background, unanswered.

The hearing reached into places that normally don’t bother with politics — at least, not so early in the morning.

In Houston, a retired pastor named Samuel J. Gilbert, 82, went to Jackson’s Barbershop for his weekly haircut. The hearing was on CNN. He said he was struck by the risk that Ford was taking.

“This lady, she really put herself on the line knowing that people don’t usually put a woman’s word over men,” Gilbert said.

In Washington — a city so odd that bars treat congressional hearings like bowl games — Shaw’s Tavern opened an hour earlier than usual, offering bottomless mimosas. But this was not a bowl game.

“We need to change the perception that just because you didn’t tell someone, it didn’t happen,” said Jamar Guy, a 35-year-old Washington resident. He was sitting at the bar, talking about his own sexual assault, years ago, by the son of a family friend. Guy said he vividly recalls the smile on his attacker’s face afterward.

“That stays with you,” Guy said. “Something always stays with you.”

In another part of Washington, two women sat in a therapist’s waiting room, listening to the hearing on tiny cellphone speakers. One reached for the other’s hand.

The same thing happened elsewhere: As Ford told her story, other people told theirs — to family, to strangers, to themselves.

At a cafe in Kansas City, Mo., Coleen Voeks sipped a glass of Redemption whiskey. She held it up to the TV, as a kind of toast.

Voeks, now 45, said she was raped in high school but never told anyone until recently. She felt guilt and remorse, as if she had done something wrong.

“I shouldn’t have gone to his house — I knew his family wasn’t there,” Voeks said. “I should have fought harder. You go through those things for years. What could I have done?”

She continued: “I was 17, and now I’m 45, and it’s taken a long time to get to the point that I realized, when I say no, no means no.”

At that point, the day was only half-over.

In the afternoon, Kavanaugh himself testified. He said he was entirely innocent of Ford’s charges — it could be that someone had assaulted Ford, he said, but that person was not him.

When Kavanaugh’s statement was done, he had convinced some doubters.

“I absolutely sympathized with her. I thought his rebuttal was equally convincing,” said James Boyle, 57, a director of Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research, in New Haven, Conn.

“What I’d really like to see is the FBI investigate,” Boyle said. He said that the senators on the panel are “utterly polarized” and their aim is not to find the truth.

Some who supported Kavanaugh also sympathized with Ford and others who say they have been victims of sexual assault.

Across the smoke-filled cigar lounge in Houston, Benjamin Guajardo, 52, was watching the hearing so closely that he missed the ashtray, spilling ashes onto a side table.

“I believe the Democrats are playing politics and distressing those who have been assaulted,” Guajardo said. “I take this seriously.”

At the bar of Trump’s Washington hotel, Barbara Beaman, a Virginia resident, said she thought Kavanaugh was “justifiably, incredibly furious,” during his testimony and that there was “no corroboration” for Ford’s allegations against him. She added that she thought Kavanaugh was respectful and showed “a lot of emotion,” especially when he talked about his family.

“To me, it’s quite obvious something may have happened with Dr. Ford, but it had nothing to do with Brett Kavanaugh,” she said.

Kavanaugh’s noisy appearance — following Ford’s quiet one — left some people unsure what to believe.

His part of the hearing was interrupted by bitter fighting and recriminations among senators, as Kavanaugh sat watching.

It slowly became a Washington spectacle, understood by a small audience and aimed at an even smaller one. In the short term, the only people whose reaction matters are the small group of GOP senators whose votes could put Kavanaugh on the court — or kill his nomination.

While they kept talking, the impact of the day’s first half continued long after Ford was done speaking.

At the National Sexual Assault Hotline, the volume of calls — already running high since Ford’s allegations became public — was much higher than normal Thursday.

“On a typical weekday, our queue of folks waiting to talk to one of our hotline staff might be six to eight people,” said Scott Berkowitz, chief executive of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, which runs the hotline. “Today, it’s gotten as high as 49.”

Many of those callers, Berkowitz said, had stories that mirrored Ford’s: They wanted to talk about events that had happened years before.

That women might keep such secrets seemed a given to many viewers.

In Milwaukee, a small group of people watched the hearing on television at a bar called Y-Not.

The TV above the bar showed Rachel Mitchell — an Arizona prosecutor brought in by Republicans — questioning Ford about her memories and a polygraph test Ford had taken about the allegations.

The crowd, which previously had been ambivalent about the hearing, turned strongly — and profanely — in favor of Ford.

“She’s not on [expletive] trial,” said Paul Chier, sitting at the bar, responding to the prosecutor’s questioning of Ford.

“Unfortunately, she is on trial, and she is [expletive] killing it,” answered Matt Earnest, three chairs down.

A bit later during the hearing, the TV showed Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), who said two-thirds of sexual-assault victims don’t report. Amanda Delsart, a bartender, yelled back at the TV.

“Because no one [expletive] believes them!” she said, the anger obvious in her voice.

Martin reported from Houston. Fahrenthold reported from Washington. Donna St. George, Robert Costa, Sarah Kaplan and Michael Brice-Saddler, in Washington; Karen Dillon in Kansas City; Steven Burkholder in New Haven, Conn.; and Dan Simmons in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

[arista]

So 7 days for the FBI
to go back all those years?

as if they will find anything new?

Then he may get his Job.

[Crimson Dynamo]

what a circus

[Katty24]

what a circus

Without proof, or the possibility of getting any, it’s pointless. Anything else is opportunistic rhetoric with agendas.

[Northern Monkey]

It’s a political weapon.The timing is no coincidence.

Imo.

[Maru]

It’s a political weapon.The timing is no coincidence.

Imo.

Speaking of political pointy things... this fell off the back of the truck...

(also why can't people use landscape mode :spin2:)

3A_Zg2phhLI
Dianne Feinstein Here’s My Repressed Memory from Your 47th Birthday Party

Video: https://media.giphy.com/media/9hBW9Ay4pW10Y/giphy.gif

Me: https://media.giphy.com/media/5hktDTuUinelQzm3kO/giphy.gif'



I think if I have a kid that decides to get involved in politics, I might react like some parents do at the prospect of their children going into the military...

https://media.giphy.com/media/PzQvWAhgfUipW/giphy.gif

[Maru]

1046191093241589761

[bots]

unfortunately, the fbi investigation is a complete sham, given the restrictions the WH has put on it.

[Maru]

unfortunately, the fbi investigation is a complete sham, given the restrictions the WH has put on it.

It's not really a criminal investigation though, it's just interviewing people and offering a brief... they can't subpoena... apparently, they have less ability to investigate than the Senate... I had read...

The more I read about it, asking for an FBI investigation in general seems like a sham, period. I think he should be confirmed, and they can try to impeach him, call for an actual investigation... instead of these half-steps... because the point there is just to delay... they were happy, nodding in agreement about the one-week investigation when it was asked for... and now they're unhappy and say it should be indefinite. The point is to delay, not to find the truth...

There is no statue of limitations in MD for sexual assault, which I did not know having lived there nearly a decade :spin: ... that is where my husband was raised... so she could've reported it to the police at any time and opened up an investigation... the reason they did it this way was for a political reason... little to do with actual justice...

BTW, maybe unrelated, but MD is very very blue and the culture there is progressive by default... so it's not like the local politics would've kept her from being able to file a suit/criminal case... she would've had a lot of backing there. More conservative POVs are not very welcome there... and her being a psychology professor and acting as she did not know the best way interview assault victims (i.e. what would've helped them to give a recall in a helpful manner, etc)... that's a red flag... when it was her field, psychological research... there are inconsistencies in her testimony as well, but you know... that's just how the cookie crumbles... these are not perfect human beings and anyone who is put under this much scrutiny is going to show cracks... that's anyone... so it doesn't really mean she is lying, or that he is guilty... in my view...

I think the questions about alcohol and how much he drank too were leading... that wouldn't have flown in an actual court... he didn't have a lawyer objecting to several of those questions, he represented himself... I prefer that he was upfront and said "That question is BS", than a lawyer to sit there and go like "nope..." ... both refused to answer the question(s) given when they suspected the reasoning was more politically-motivated...

The only solution is a real trial/investigation... the FBI anyway has shown to have political bias in recent years, so it's probably better for them to file a criminal case in MD... which some congress folk have I think? But again, this can happen even if he is accepted... but the paranoia/scrutiny that they have for him being angry on the stand is a bit ridiculous, considering that most of our politics, since this hearing was basically all about that...

Edit: Kept adding stuff as thoughts kept streaming in... because you know :spin: ...

[Zizu]

It's not really a criminal investigation though, it's just interviewing people and offering a brief... they can't subpoena... apparently, they have less ability to investigate than the Senate... I had read...

The more I read about it, asking for an FBI investigation in general seems like a sham, period. I think he should be confirmed, and they can try to impeach him, call for an actual investigation... instead of these half-steps... because the point there is just to delay... they were happy, nodding in agreement about the one-week investigation when it was asked for... and now they're unhappy and say it should be indefinite. The point is to delay, not to find the truth...

There is no statue of limitations in MD for sexual assault, which I did not know having lived there nearly a decade :spin: ... that is where my husband was raised... so she could've reported it to the police at any time and opened up an investigation... the reason they did it this way was for a political reason... little to do with actual justice...

BTW, maybe unrelated, but MD is very very blue and the culture there is progressive by default... so it's not like the local politics would've kept her from being able to file a suit/criminal case... she would've had a lot of backing there. More conservative POVs are not very welcome there... and her being a psychology professor and acting as she did not know the best way interview assault victims (i.e. what would've helped them to give a recall in a helpful manner, etc)... that's a red flag... when it was her field, psychological research... there are inconsistencies in her testimony as well, but you know... that's just how the cookie crumbles... these are not perfect human beings and anyone who is put under this much scrutiny is going to show cracks... that's anyone... so it doesn't really mean she is lying, or that he is guilty... in my view...

I think the questions about alcohol and how much he drank too were leading... that wouldn't have flown in an actual court... he didn't have a lawyer objecting to several of those questions, he represented himself... I prefer that he was upfront and said "That question is BS", than a lawyer to sit there and go like "nope..." ... both refused to answer the question(s) given when they suspected the reasoning was more politically-motivated...

The only solution is a real trial/investigation... the FBI anyway has shown to have political bias in recent years, so it's probably better for them to file a criminal case in MD... which some congress folk have I think? But again, this can happen even if he is accepted... but the paranoia/scrutiny that they have for him being angry on the stand is a bit ridiculous, considering that most of our politics, since this hearing was basically all about that...

Edit: Kept adding stuff as thoughts kept streaming in... because you know :spin: ...



Incidentally ... google those two 'terms' he wrote on his calendar:diary ...

He said under oath that Devil's Triangle was a drinking game yet it appears to be a sex act involving two males and one female , then he said a BOOF was a term for 'flatulence' and yet it appears to be a reference to anal sex !!

Why would he put an entry for farting on a calendar ??

All sounds very ominous ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Maru]

Incidentally ... google those two 'terms' he wrote on his calendar:diary ...

He said under oath that Devil's Triangle was a drinking game yet it appears to be a sex act involving two males and one female , then he said a BOOF was a term for 'flatulence' and yet it appears to be a reference to anal sex !!

Why would he put an entry for farting on a calendar ??

All sounds very ominous ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do believe the boof thing does mean flatulence. It actually solved a long-running mystery for me. I like to photograph while I'm on the trail and the local kids here have spray-painted boof all over the trails I walk :spin:... anal sex would make less sense... the rest of the graffiti is equally childish/stupid... and we don't have as much of a gang presence around here like there was where I grew up, so it's interesting to compare... like in town, and they spray-tainted stuff like that all over the trains coming out of the Ship Channel... a lot of it much more vulgar...

People are citing urban dictionary for these terms, and I looked at that for that reference, but it's not like there was an urban dictionary in the 80's... there's other definitions for Devil's Triangle as well... Google isn't very good for searching much older cultural references/terms, sadly... unless there is some modern reinterpretation/resurgence of it, it's harder to find the older stuff... and so I'm reliant on memory for a lot and I can only re-research something I ran into in my childhood if I either found a person discussing it (and using a term/tag I could research to get to it in a round-about way)...

Probably in a few decades, depending on what does/doesn't stay online, it will be more helpful... but not for things like that... there's also a lot of local urban legends/phrases/references here, they almost never make their way online... I maybe find them in odd places... I grew up in a very old part of Houston, so it's sort of a side interest... :spin:

[bots]

Devils Triangle
A threesome between two men and one woman. Also a made-up drinking game by Brett Kavanaugh as a way to lie to gullible senators and try to get onto the Supreme Court.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle&page=3

:joker:

[Maru]

Devils Triangle
A threesome between two men and one woman. Also a made-up drinking game by Brett Kavanaugh as a way to lie to gullible senators and try to get onto the Supreme Court.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle&page=3

:joker:

Yeah they changed the wiki too at some point :laugh:

[Zizu]

Devils Triangle

A threesome between two men and one woman. Also a made-up drinking game by Brett Kavanaugh as a way to lie to gullible senators and try to get onto the Supreme Court.



https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Devils%20Triangle&page=3



:joker:



Look up BOOF as well as that ain't flatulence as he stated ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Maru]

There are apparently variations of boof... on urban, boofah has only this entry...




https://i.imgur.com/LFnyHFV.png
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofah




Also "boofa" (no h)... only two entries...

https://i.imgur.com/KUwv8vH.png
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofa

[Nicky91]

bshgOZ8QQxU

this protest thing at the elevator has been a reason to delay the supreme court vote

was on CNN last night


some female CNN host she said ''women do make fake stories like these up all the time'' well i was like :facepalm: i don't think they are making these stories up but yeah it is suspicious that they reveal this now at the time of the supreme court vote where Kavanaugh was a favourite to become new supreme court Judge, and also bringing something up what happened 34 years ago

[Crimson Dynamo]

who does that hysterical woman think she is?

unbelievable

[arista]

bshgOZ8QQxU

this protest thing at the elevator has been a reason to delay the supreme court vote

was on CNN last night


some female CNN host she said ''women do make fake stories like these up all the time'' well i was like :facepalm: i don't think they are making these stories up but yeah it is suspicious that they reveal this now at the time of the supreme court vote where Kavanaugh was a favourite to become new supreme court Judge, and also bringing something up what happened 34 years ago


Yes I watched it Live
as some Channels went split screen
He should have walked out the lift
and gone back,
Standing there in front of 4 TV live cameras
made it far worse.

That Lady stopped the doors closing


No security helped him.

[Nicky91]

Yes I watched it Live
as some Channels went split screen
He should have walked out the lift
and gone back,
Standing there in front of 4 TV live cameras
made it far worse.

That Lady stopped the doors closing


No security helped him.

also the girl standing next to the senator, she kept pushing the elevator close button, and eventually she was standing behind senator flake checking something on her mobile Phone, probably was feeling awkward with that protest lady stopping the doors from closing

[arista]

also the girl standing next to the senator, she kept pushing the elevator close button, and eventually she was standing behind senator flake checking something on her mobile Phone, probably was feeling awkward with that protest lady stopping the doors from closing


Yes his assistants

[Zizu]

There are apparently variations of boof... on urban, boofah has only this entry...









https://i.imgur.com/LFnyHFV.png

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofah









Also "boofa" (no h)... only two entries...



https://i.imgur.com/KUwv8vH.png

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofa



Soooo why would he put an entry on his calendar for a 'fart' :)

Surely he's more likely to make a diary note of him having 'back door sex' than if he 'farted' ??


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[Zizu]

who does that hysterical woman think she is?

unbelievable



A concerned woman ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Zizu]

bshgOZ8QQxU

this protest thing at the elevator has been a reason to delay the supreme court vote

was on CNN last night


some female CNN host she said ''women do make fake stories like these up all the time'' well i was like :facepalm: i don't think they are making these stories up but yeah it is suspicious that they reveal this now at the time of the supreme court vote where Kavanaugh was a favourite to become new supreme court Judge, and also bringing something up what happened 34 years ago



Presumably because he's gonna be getting one of the most influential jobs in the world ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Crimson Dynamo]

A concerned woman ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

who wants to circumnavigate the law of the land and be her own judge a jury?

NO

[Zizu]

There are apparently variations of boof... on urban, boofah has only this entry...









https://i.imgur.com/LFnyHFV.png

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofah









Also "boofa" (no h)... only two entries...



https://i.imgur.com/KUwv8vH.png

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boofa
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.urbandictionary.com/define.php%3Fterm%3DBoof%26amp%3Dtrue

Boof
Another term for having sex, often suggesting anal.
I'm tryina boof tonight.

I totally wanna boof her in the boofhole.
by Brobi wan Kenobi March 08, 2014

Search boofing in the urban ..


boofing
The act of inserting drugs into the anus for a longer trip. Most often occurs at Disco Biscuits shows by spun-out kids on ketamine.
Dude I was so spun out at the Disco Biscuits show after we were boofing that ketamine!





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[letmein]

who does that hysterical woman think she is?

unbelievable

An American taxpayer. Take a seat.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Great piece by Hannity on Fox

TIa8P4a3nHU

[Livia]

So... Brett Kavanagh's confirmation is all but sealed after senators backed him. This means he will be able to shape legislation in the USA for decades to come.

Good job he's not an actor, eh? His career would be OVER.

[Oliver_W]

So... Brett Kavanagh's confirmation is all but sealed after senators backed him. This means he will be able to shape legislation in the USA for decades to come.

Good job he's not an actor, eh? His career would be OVER.

He's not been found guilty though
You understand that you're innocent until a court proves you guilty, right?

[Livia]

He's not been found guilty though

Neither has Kevin Spacey.

And I'm not suggesting Kavanagh goes to jail unless he IS found guilty... I'm suggesting he is not invited to take part in making the law.

[Oliver_W]

Neither has Kevin Spacey.

And I'm not suggesting Kavanagh goes to jail unless he IS found guilty... I'm suggesting he is not invited to take part in making the law.

So when that teacher was accused of sleeping with a pupil and there's evidence of a lot of out-of-school communication, and a specific time and place they had sex, and the fact she thought of him as a friend and shared a lot of personal information, you err on the side of caution; but Ms Ford says "I think he raped me, but I don't know where or when" at a rather convenient time, you think he should he shouldn't be able to take the position?

Interesting.

[Livia]

So when that teacher was accused of sleeping with a pupil and there's evidence of a lot of out-of-school communication, and a specific time and place they had sex, and the fact she thought of him as a friend and shared a lot of personal information, you err on the side of caution; but Ms Ford says "I think he raped me, but I don't know where or when" at a rather convenient time, you think he should he shouldn't be able to take the position?

Interesting.

Nowhere have I said that teacher should ever be allowed to work with children again. I said that we can't assume she's an evil predator, as some people were calling her, till all the facts are known.

Brett Kavanaugh should be allowed to continue with his life... but no way should be he allowed to be involved in making the law of the land.

Oh and... it isn't Ms Ford. It's Dr Ford.

[Nicky91]

hAx2gdc7_RQ

this was also on the daily show, it is true what they said on there about Chuck Grassley, he tried to not come over sexist, but completely backfired on him and did the opposite

[arista]

Yes Today they Vote
on Kavanaugh
so far expected to get the job.

[Liam-]

He’ll be confirmed and nobody will be shocked, republicans have a reputation of not caring about someone’s character as long as it suits their political purpose, it’ll be a sad day for America

[Livia]

How right you are, Liam.

[arista]

He Just got approved
just got the job.

live all media

https://news.sky.com/story/live-arrests-as-kavanaugh-is-set-to-be-approved-11519665

[Maru]

I'm relieved. It would have set a very bad precedent, one very detrimental to the health of the country, to intimidate Congressmen/women to vote out a nominee on the basis of allegations and an aggressive smear campaign. Rule of law =/= Court of public opinion... I think he showed he has the passion and stamina to handle very difficult issues that will have to be weighed in the courts, and this whole thing will probably make him a better judge... but I'm just a voter, so what do I know...

[Smithy]

Eh, not surprised the US is an utter joke of a country and the republicans are **** show of a party - they'd defend a murderer if he was on their side

[Zizu]

Will we ever find out if he's messed up in his new job or if he's made some outrageous decisions?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Livia]

Every decision he makes now will be examined, it will have to be.

So I'll say again... good job he wasn't an actor facing an allegation, he'd be in the process of being expunged from history. Luckily for the US, he's only a lawmaker.

[Oliver_W]

I'm relieved. It would have set a very bad precedent, one very detrimental to the health of the country, to intimidate Congressmen/women to vote out a nominee on the basis of allegations and an aggressive smear campaign.
This tbh. I wouldn't want any politician from either side to be barred/removed from power on the basis of a shaky and changing allegation, as it would lead to more false claims against candidates.

[Livia]

This tbh. I wouldn't want any politician from either side to be barred/removed from power on the basis of a shaky and changing allegation, as it would lead to more false claims against candidates.



Lawmakers need to be like Caesar's wife: above suspicion.

[Alf]

Eh, not surprised the US is an utter joke of a country and the republicans are **** show of a party - they'd defend a murderer if he was on their sideIt could be worse, at least nobody's trying to escape it, infact it's the total opposite, not bad for a joke country eh?

[Tom4784]

It's utter foolishness to confirm him with so much doubt cast over him. They're rushing him in because they know they won't have the votes to confirm him after the midterms. It's disgraceful.

He should be investigated fully really. You can't give someone a lifelong position of power when there's doubt over their history.

[Alf]

He did absolutely nothing wrong, until he was up for this position.

[Matthew.]

i think it’s pretty disgraceful that he’s been voted in

[Tom4784]

He did absolutely nothing wrong, until he was up for this position.

Because you alone just so happen to know what happened with these people in the 1980's? Would you be so quick to defend him if he was a democrat leaning judge?

If there's doubts then those doubts must be investigated fully regardless of political leanings. His confirmation should have been delayed until a clearer picture of what happened had been painted.

[arista]

It's utter foolishness to confirm him with so much doubt cast over him. They're rushing him in because they know they won't have the votes to confirm him after the midterms. It's disgraceful.

He should be investigated fully really. You can't give someone a lifelong position of power when there's doubt over their history.


Trump can.
He is going for him now a family man
not as a 17 year old brat.

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Brett-Kavanaugh-with-Family-and-President-Trump-at-the-White-House.jpg

[bots]

Anyone that saw his performance at the hearing knows he is not a suitable candidate for the job. However, its not anything new in the history of the world for an unsuitable candidate to get the job. He will do Trump a favour at the correct moment and that's what it's all about.

[arista]

Anyone that saw his performance at the hearing knows he is not a suitable candidate for the job. However, its not anything new in the history of the world for an unsuitable candidate to get the job. He will do Trump a favour at the correct moment and that's what it's all about.


Of Course

[Livia]

Anyone that saw his performance at the hearing knows he is not a suitable candidate for the job. However, its not anything new in the history of the world for an unsuitable candidate to get the job. He will do Trump a favour at the correct moment and that's what it's all about.

In a nutshell.

[Northern Monkey]

There deffo should be a proper investigation.It’s only right with such serious claims.But he should only be denied his position with proper evidence imo.
If either side think they can just throw allegations around to manipulate the outcome then this kind of thing will become common practice no doubt.

[Maru]

There deffo should be a proper investigation.It’s only right with such serious claims.But he should only be denied his position with proper evidence imo.
If either side think they can just throw allegations around to manipulate the outcome then this kind of thing will become common practice no doubt.

The only issue, that presupposition would open a lot of investigations. My view, it's an emotional situation for all following this. That's what hopeful and emotional thinking tells us, well, there's some little light that will eventually come on and put needed perspective on this situation... we hope, right?

But in my opinion, the "right" result is not always the most clear and to some degree, this is not supposed to feel right. She could pursue an investigation in MD or a suit, but she had already said she wouldn't. She has chosen not to. So I think it's reasonable to also ask ourselves why are we still pursuing this? What will really come of that if the victim has already said she's walking away from this?

Where I refute, they should open an investigation if her claims are credible. Not because it's "morally right". (Edit--I'm assuming a moral assumption there obviously) That's subjective reasoning. She gave no time, place, date. Everything was a blur and she kept changing her story.. the witnesses that were there said they weren't there and testified under oath to the FBI. If there was enough there, I think it would've gone that way actually towards a criminal investigation..

I don't think that this is supposed to feel right. I think that's more correct. I don't think this process is meant to feel fair either (emphasis: feel)... a lot of things in life are unfair. What we're seeing play out is a cultural response to that... and to some degree that is "right" as well, in my view... we are seeing how certain allegations not only hurt people directly, but around them and people not even directly involved (survivors of abuse, etc)... I feel terrible for the women breaking down as they tell their stories... I've never felt this sick about our politics before...

But we can't know that someone is guilty on basis of feeling... and if we continue to listen to feelings, we're going to get ourselves into major trouble eventually... either doing things we shouldn't do or acting out in ways that are detrimental to those around us and to society... and I'm talking about those who are completely swayed by the emotional side of our politics, who follow through on violent/terroristic threats, etc... not just the average person, you and I talking on this board... so yeah, most of this post is just me being topical.

What I would like to see come out of it is they have an official process for sexual assault survivors to report... and that senators/congresspeople/political lemmings are required to pass this on to that either that committee or FBI... and I think that should be handled by court of law and penalty of perjury for false claims. But anonymity is the key I think here... in order to get legitimate claims through... I'm not so convinced that these public hearings are the way to go to get to more legitimate claims... I think that it just turns it into an inquisition for both claimant and the defendant actually...

[Maru]

Calls to sexual assault hotline jump after Christine Blasey Ford's testimony
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/29/christine-blasey-ford-hearing-sexual-assault-hotline-calls-skyrocket/1471409002/

The emotional testimony of Christine Blasey Ford spurred a spike in calls to the National Sexual Assault hotline, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network that runs the hotline.

The number of people who called the hotline was “201% above average” the day she testified, the group said.

Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for nearly four hours on Thursday, outlining a sexual assault she alleged she suffered at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The California psychology professor went into painstaking detail, accusing the judge of holding her down on a bed at a party in 1982, trying to take off her clothes and putting his hand over her mouth to silence her calls for help.

Ford said she was “terrified” and only came forward after so many years because she felt it was her “civic duty.”

The high number of people reaching out to RAINN continued long after her testimony. The group reported “unprecedented wait times” for online chat services on Friday and Saturday.

RAINN spokeswoman Sara McGovern told CNN that the #MeToo movement overall has triggered “off the charts” demand for the group’s services, which are accessible at 800-656-HOPE or online.rainn.org.

"Our victim service programs went from helping about 15,000 victims per month to helping about 22,000 per month," she said.

Aside from the Ford testimony, the past week marked another milestone in the #MeToo movement, when Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for a sexual assault in 2004.

While such high-profile markers may signal steps forward for the movement, they can also trigger painful memories for victims, clinical psychologist Jim Hopper told USA TODAY.

Hopper, a teaching associate at Harvard Medical School who specialized in trauma and writes the Sexual Assault and the Brain blog for Psychology Today, said other daily events can also prompt a resurgence of traumatic memories.

It could be "revisiting the college you went to and walked by frat row, or undergoing cancer treatment and feeling vulnerable as you did when you were a kid who was abused."

[arista]

Yes Maru
Ford may have helped some folks
but can she get back to her normal job
or does she now have to have a 24/7 bodyguard, now?

[GoldHeart]

Donald Trump defending Brett, and calling him a gem, well tbf most who were in Trump's employment, that's 5 of them had been charged with sexual assault claims, sexist claims

so basically we can now say whenever Trump praises or likes someone, we need to look into that person's background, which is what Trevor Noah said from the daily show

Anyone associated with Trump is bad news ,and I don't mean the ones just doing their job .

There's an obvious pattern here and it's ugly . Of course Trump will defend his pal :facepalm: one sleaze bag looking out for another sleaze bag :yuk: .

[Crimson Dynamo]

This is and was about the Republicans determination to lock in a conservative majority on the supreme Court, so they can shape the law for decades, and the Democrats equal determination to scupper it. Kavanaugh and Ford were only puppets.

Source: The Week

[Tom4784]

Trump can.
He is going for him now a family man
not as a 17 year old brat.

https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Brett-Kavanaugh-with-Family-and-President-Trump-at-the-White-House.jpg

So being an attempted rapist is okay because it happened when he was 17 and since then he has impregnated someone a few times and that erases everything?

Such ****ed up logic, people have more empathy for abusers than they do the victims.

[Livia]

His eldest daughter looks just like him. Poor little cow.