The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday advanced Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to a full confirmation vote, but the hearings this week showed that many Vermonters are willing to believe Kavanaugh’s accuser without any evidence or corroboration of her testimony.
After a marathon session Thursday that featured the dual testimony of alleged sexual assault victim Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Vermont’s elected officials appear to be siding with Ford.
Despite no evidence, no witnesses, and vague and inconsistent details of Ford’s recollections from 35 years ago, the “we believe victims” slogan of #MeToo activism has caught on among citizens and politicians who are taking every word of the allegations with little or no questioning.
#BelieveChristine: Vermonters show their support for survivors during Kavanaugh hearings https://t.co/6sl6oMmMXb via @bfp_news #btv #montp #vtpoli #KavanaughFordHearings pic.twitter.com/VU1gCDFru1
— ryanmercer1 (@ryanmercer1) September 28, 2018
Vermont politicians, one-by-one, lined up with statements in support of Ford, rejecting the legal concept of presumption of innocence.
“Like many Americans I have been closely following the nomination proceedings and information submitted about Judge Kavanaugh,” Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman wrote in a newsletter to constituents. “As the father of a young daughter I feel today may be one of the most important in our modern history. Let me be clear, I believe survivors.”
He continued, “From what I have heard I can say I am deeply appreciative for the bravery Dr. Ford has shown and the sacrifice she and her family have made on behalf of all survivors of sexual violence.”
Incidentally, other media have noted that Ford’s immediate family has been suspiciously absent from any public support for her story. That’s just one of several problems with Ford’s narrative highlighted in “Eight big problems for Christine Blasey Ford’s story,” written by New York post political commentator Paul Sperry.
Key concerns include that she can’t remember where or when the alleged event occurred, how the party where she met Kavanaugh began, or how she, as a 15-year-old, arrived to the party. Every witness she cited has subsequently refuted her story.
Other concerns include the fact that important details of her story change nearly each time she tells it. As Sperry notes, “Her shrink noted that Ford told her there were ‘four boys’ in the bedroom, not two as she now says. The notes also indicate Ford said she was in her ‘late teens’ when she was assaulted. But Ford now says she may have been only 15.”
Furthermore, sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who was appointed by the Senate to review the allegations against Kavanaugh, told the Judiciary Committee after hearing Ford and Kavanaugh testify that she could not bring this case “anywhere near a courtroom.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News that based on his extensive law experience, he is on Kavanaugh’s side.
“I don’t know what happened to Dr. Ford, but I’ve been a lawyer all my life. I used to do this for a living … (and) you couldn’t get a warrant,” he told Fox show host Sean Hannity.
“She can’t tell you where it happened, when it happened. It’s not he said, she said, it’s she said and they said. All people named said it didn’t happen. And you can’t get the date or the time,” Graham said.
Gov. Phl Scott also weighed in on Ford’s allegation, saying he supports an FBI investigation to find “facts” about a childhood event long in the past that may have no verifiable facts.
“Without those facts, the process should not move forward. And if the Senate confirms Judge Kavanaugh without them, it will cast a dark cloud over the Senate, the Court, and our nation. We are better than this as a country. It is my hope that the Senate will put the morality of our nation ahead of party or ideology,” Scott said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, also commented in an NBC News report, calling the unsubstantiated accusations “very serious” and attacking President Trump for casting doubt on Ford’s story.
“Very serious allegations have been made by Dr. Ford and those allegations are going to have to be examined thoroughly,” Sanders said. “I regard it as outrageous, the statement of the President of the United States, dismissing those allegations.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised Ford.
“There are millions of victims and survivors out there who’ve been inspired by your courage. … You sharing your story is going to have a lasting, positive impact on so many survivors,” Leahy said to Ford during her testimony Thursday.
As of Friday afternoon, analysts generally said Kavanaugh is on track to be confirmed, perhaps even with some help from Democrats.
Other Vermont leaders took to social media to criticize the way their federal representatives are handling the situation. Vermont GOP Vice Chair Brady Toensing tweeted that the revelation of the allegation was intentionally held to the 11th hour for political purposes.
#vtpoli 2) Dems' intentional delay and press leak made both Dr. Ford and Kavanaugh victims of a sham process and hearing. The Dems’ behavior has been “unacceptable” and disgusting, and has already cast a “dark cloud” over Senate. System should protect both men and women.
— Brady Toensing (@BradyToensing) September 27, 2018
Regular folks also weighed in, saying they are not happy with Leahy’s handling of Judge Kavanaugh, who has served for 12 years on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Very true! #vtpoli #btv @SenatorLeahy https://t.co/N8HD0sZnJK
— Bert McGert (@mcgert_bert) September 27, 2018
Another Twitter user suggested the Ford debacle will have reverberating implications for the Democrat Party.
The Democratic Party of today is not the one I grew up with. Today's disgusting display by the left at the Kavanaugh hearing is proof of that.
Tribal devotion will still blind most to vote Left here in #vt. Too bad.
These people are not your friend.#vermont #vtpoli
— Willi Waizenegger (@w_waizen) September 28, 2018
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North Reports. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
Leaky Leahy is the obvious culprit to the leaking. A shameful disgusting act. Vermonters are complicit in continually sending him back to the Senate. I have often seen the Senator having lunch at the Red Hen in Middlesex. Next time i see him I will not be shy about confronting him between bites about his conversion to the guilty until proven innocent concept. Shameful is a too mild description.
He might be at Table 24 in Rutland for the annual Halloween parade. Wonder how he would react if uncivilized protesters disturbed his meal?
No wait, that would be a different party .
This is called cognitive dissonance. An inconvenient truth. Vermonters who are condemning Judge Kavanaugh despite no corroborating evidence to Dr Ford’s allegations, don’t really believe that he is guilty, but it would be convenient to their political desires if he were a rapist, so, to them, he is. That’s what happens in an atheistic,narcissistic, relativistic culture, where abortion is health care, sex is not related to DNA, and any male athlete who can’t make it competing against other males can transgender into a female to have a better chance in athletic competitiions, benefiting from Title 9, which was supposed to give women’s athletics a chance for support, and a confused male can run for governor on the platform that he’d be the first transgender female governor (such an accomplishment). Judge Kavanaugh is a good man, and he would be a good Supreme Court Justice, and that’s exactly why so many of the confused, selfish, narcissistic, “I have my truth; you have yours”, Vermonters choose to follow the lead of Vermont’s shameless Congressmen.
It was interesting today to see Coons claim that he ‘knew’ that neither Feinstein nor her staff leaked the letter from Dr. Ford. Let’s see – who’s on the Senate Judiciary Committee with a sordid history of leaking information? Which member on the Committee was permanently banned from holding a seat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, due to his leaking highly classified information? That would be our own ‘Leaky Leahy’ – the most partisan, mush-mouthed, barely understandable Senator this State has ever sent to D.C.. Did anybody notice he couldn’t even get out of his seat without assistance? Old Paddy has become what he detested when he first arrived in Congress in 1974.
Jon ……………….. Amen !!
This should help decent, level headed, objective minded Vermonters see with clarity what liberals are actually all about.
Any means is justified to reach their desired end. In this case that “end” is use any means possible to protect their right to continue to murder babies on demand. Anything is justified to keep abortion available as the go to birth control. It’s sad how many refuse to admit it. This is about retaining that fail-safe ability to overrule God and keep abortion for any reason the law of the land.
We are now all vulnerable to this same treatment, guilty until proven innocent. God help us all, women and men!
The DemocRATS, have an agenda Delay, Delay, Delay hoping for November !!
Dr.Ford has a story ( No Collaboration ) to the facts, just a story and I assume she
probably had a rough childhood as she stated she was Fifteen & Drinking at parties
back some thirty-seven years ago.
Judge Kavanaugh, denied all allegations and had back up data ( calendars) to show
he was nowhere near Dr. Ford at said Party ……. Proof.
Vermont politicians, one-by-one, lined up with statements in support of Ford, just
some ” Liberal Democrats ” following there marching orders !! And our own Senior
Senator ” Babbling” Pat Leahy ………….. shameful, please retire ……..
Let see if “Liberal DemocRATS” protest when Senator Corey Boker & Keith Ellison
allegations come around ……….. Oh wait, they must be Innocent there charges as
they are DemocRATS !! What a travesty, all for an agenda !!
What do you expect from our liberal legislatures. They have no interest in truth. They will do anything they can to delay the vote of the honorable judge Kavanaugh.
Leahy is always the first to scream foul when it is against a conservative. He never opens his mouth when it’s a fellow liberal. He made an ass of himself along with the rest of those democrats on the committee and they all have no shame..
So sad. It is obvious that Leahy et al are choosing to believe Ford here, not based on any provable facts, but merely on what they wish had happened.
Some Leftards believe in the Easter bunny and unicorns jumping rainbows in their delusional utopia.
If we are to use this new Lib Dem Socialist logic that one is now guilty until they prove their innocence the means Bernie & his wife are guilty of their bank fraud, Keith Ellison is guilty, Booker is guilty, Franken is guilty, & Pelosi, Feinstein, Shiff, Warner, Leahy, Clintons, Cuomo, Abedin, Comey, Mccabe, Lisa Page, Brennan, Clapper etc & including all of Obama’s Administration are guilty for committing crimes against America including Treason, Subversion, Usurpation, Abuse of Power, mis use of Public Office, Malfeasance, outright and knowingly lieing to Americans even to this day, being secretive unopen to the point Obama silenced & jailed criticizers, illegal use of public funds, & above all taking oaths of Office with their fingers crossed & based on their leftist anti Constitution anti American ideologies & being self professed Commies & Socialists never had any attention of abiding their oaths.. One of the most disgusting Powers Socialist Obama believed he had was to summarily execute Americans overseas with Military power without an American Judicial order and nor did they try to arrest and bring these people to trial…
That’s great. You should send that to our legislatures