Republicans Hire Outside Counsel To Question Blasey/Ford

1. 89

   GA Andersonposted 5 years ago

   I think this is a smart move politically. A fair move for Blasey/Ford. And an honest effort to ensure a non-circus hearing.
   
   Democrats, of course, are blasting the move. Blaming the Republicans of hiding, (anonymously?), behind their written questions submitted to that outside counselor.
   
   What do you think?
   
   GA

   replyreport
   1. 87

      RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I agree that it's a non-partisan move, however I still don't expect her to show, even after the laundry list of demands she's made on the Senate committee.

      replyreport
      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Perhaps yours was just an innocent choice of words RJ, but I don't agree that it was non-partisan. I think it was partisan as hell. The Republicans didn't want to give a public image of a bunch of Republican men stabbing at a female victim with accusatory-type questions.
         
         A smart political move, but certainly partisan.
         
         GA

         replyreport
         1. 88

            IslandBitesposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            100%

            replyreport
         2. 87

            RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            thank you for correcting me - I'm glad you understood what I meant and could fix my mistake

            replyreport
   2. 61

      dianetrotterposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know!  She is a prosecutor.  Will she act like a prosecutor?  Whom will be considered the defendant?  or is she asking probing questions to get more facts out?  Facts are important.

      replyreport
      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Diane, I would say Kavanaugh is the defendant - he is the accused.
         
         Since I must assume she is a smart woman, (the outside counsel), I also have to assume she is aware of the spotlight that will be on her. My bet is she will try to be as neutral as possible - while still presenting the Republican perspective.
         
         This isn't a court, she has been asked to represent the Republicans.
         
         GA

         replyreport
      2. 0

         promisemposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         To your point, maybe the Democrats should have been allowed to bring in a defense attorney in addition to the Republican's prosecutor.
         
         They both could question both people. That truly would be the fair approach.

         replyreport
   3. 0

      promisemposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      You can add Julie Swetnick to the list. She has a sworn affidavit that she and others were drugged and gang raped by Kavanaugh and his friends in high school.
      
      I agree it's smart to bring in an outsider. We'll see if she handles the questions fairly for both parties.
      
      https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/26/michael … tnick.html

      replyreport
      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Just as a side note, promisem,  the outside counsel will not be handling the Democrat questions. They have too many 2020 presidential contenders to give up their camera face-time. They say they will be asking their own questions.
         
         GA

         replyreport
         1. 0

            promisemposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, thanks for the clarification. Too bad, because they would look less partisan if they had a defense lawyer to represent their side.
            
            Score one for the Republicans.

            replyreport
   4. 82

      Don Wposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, the GOP are politicking, as are the Democrats.
      
      The Democrats probably have the moral high ground though due to the nature of the circumstances.
      
      It remains to be seen how objective Rachel Mitchell will be.
      
      It also makes abundantly clear that there needs to be more women on the GOP side of the Committee.

      replyreport
      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Don, You are right, the GOP does need more women. However, as you say; ...considering the nature of the circumstances, I think even with more women, it would still be a smart choice to bring in that outside counsel.
         
         GA

         replyreport
   5. 76

      Ken Burgessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I think we are in the midst of the end of Western Civilization as we know it, and what made it effective and functional for hundreds of years.
      
      Not trying to be hyperbolic about this, but the Democrats are in essence using the accusation of sexual harassment/assault for purely political purpose.
      
      They did this in the Alabama special election for the Senate seat that was all but won (according to polls) by the Republican nominee until those accusations came out, that proved unsubstantiated and false, but not until the election was over and the damage was done.
      
      And they waited to use these allegations until the last moment, not six weeks prior when they were made aware of them.  In addition, it is a step by step, drip, drip, drip release of accusation after accusation, as was done against Trump just weeks before the election.
      
      This is what we can expect in politics today, this card has been played against too many, too often. If it was one such event where accusers were coming out and declaring how horrible a person was, 30, 40 years ago it would be one thing... but this has been used far too often in the past couple of years for me to see this as anything more than a well groomed attack on a political figure.
      
      When people believe strongly about something, it appears they are willing to say or do anything... this is the scary world we live in today, whether it is a prominent figure on a national newscast making wild unsubstantiated claims, or whether it is a political activist who has hard core beliefs who is willing to lie and destroy a person's reputation to further those political agendas, there seems to be no line that will not be crossed, no decency that will be held to.
      
      Its all part of the social upheaval and civil deconstruction going on throughout most of the Western world, this is but one slice of the overall insanity, from the people reporting on it, to the politicians preening and protesting, that is signaling that something much more troubling has infected our reality.

      replyreport
      1. 0

         Ed Fisherposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

         replyreport
      2. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I am not quite as cynical relative to the "end" Ken, but I do agree with the purposeful nastiness and scheming of these attacks.
         
         I may be stealing one of your prior mentioned thoughts, but I think we will be okay. The pendulum swings. The best we can hope for is that we are seeing the apex of this swing.
         
         Taking this type of character attack back to high school years - completely discounting decades of laudable adult life achievements is, I think, a step that will end up being as damaging to the perpetrators as it is to the victims.
         
         GA

         replyreport
         1. 93

            wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            "Taking this type of character attack back to high school years - completely discounting decades of laudable adult life achievements is, I think, a step that will end up being as damaging to the perpetrators as it is to the victims."
            
            We can only hope.  And hope as well that both sides get this message loud and clear, for the right is just as disgusting in it's political games.  It has not gone quite this far, but now the door has been opened there is no doubt that it will in the future.

            replyreport
            1. 0

               Ed Fisherposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

               replyreport
         2. 76

            Ken Burgessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            GA,
            
            I chose to post this on your thread because I wanted to share this brilliantly prepared, articulated, and informative video with you about Prof. Ford, and the adulation and rewards she is receiving for her 'heroic' stand against 'male oppression'.
            
            Project out to where this type of systematic education will lead... by no means do I believe what was done to Kavanaugh will be the turning point to a more civil and sane social discourse, sadly, I think what we witnessed occur to Kavanaugh shall become common place in our society... as this video attests, we have entire universities dedicated to its propagation.
            
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFL6k5yOAFM

            replyreport
            1. 89

               GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               I can see your point Ken, but that video didn't do much for me. A similar video could probably be made about Harvard with the perspective addressing men.
               
               GA

               replyreport
2. 88

   IslandBitesposted 5 years ago

   Non-partisan move?

   replyreport
   1. 87

      RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I deserved that....ouch

      replyreport
3. 0

   Ed Fisherposted 5 years ago

   What a spectacle , Democrats are now supporting a "public hanging "  that would have been prevalent a hundred years ago , more interesting is that how much more revealing that the "selective justice "  has arisen from the democratic party .  They have always been soft on all crimes ,  A sitting Bill Clinton and dozens of sexual allegations -Democrats ; "You've got nothing "............... but give it  democratic allegations against a conservative SCOTUS , different story !
   
   They don't even need evidence . Hang him.

   replyreport
4. 60

   Live to Learnposted 5 years ago

   It doesn't matter what the Republicans do, how sensitively they attempt to approach this. The left will condemn it and attempt to paint it as hateful.
   
   The manipulation and lies will not serve the left well, in the long run.

   replyreport