My friends and I drank in college, but we stayed safe. We never left the dorms (no drinking and driving) and we didn't pressure each other to drink any more than we wanted; there was no "chugging" or anything like that. After the novelty wore off, I think we kind of stopped... I think we only had alcohol a few times over the course of a few weeks. The worst I did was kiss a girl (context matters here), but even when I was drunk, I knew to back off afterwards.
I haven't really drunk since, except for a few random times when somebody offered me alcohol (and invariably I'd never finish it). I think it's because my dad never drank, so drinking beer never seemed like a normal, everyday thing to me. Plus, my mom got unpleasant when she drank, so that might have played a role. I like champagne and Jack Daniels, but I'm way too cheap to buy even beer.
My old Drugs and Society professor was very critical of the criminalization of drugs, but she pointed out that America actually had less alcohol-related problems than Europe precisely because of our higher drinking age (21 instead of 18, for those who aren't aware) that kept kids away from drinking alcohol regularly until they were older. It is one of the most addictive and toxic substances known to humankind. I think it's better to drink infrequently and to drink little.
It's not a great influence on humankind. Not even if you discount all the people who have died to it.
Are they pulling a wikipedia or is there suddenly a flood of abuse victims coming out of the woodwork or requiring counseling because of this ugly Kavanaugh business?
Believe it's bringing up painful repressed memories for a lot of victims. And people recognize Ford as someone who's suffered an assault and it reminds them of their own.
I dont know if any of you guys listened to the hearings today on C-SPAN's internet streaming radio link, but during some of the longer breaks, they'd ask people to call in a share their opinions on the hearings thus far. Approximately 75% of the callers were women, and most of them opened with by going into some detail about a sexual assault they had suffered in their life.
It's heartbreaking to hear strangers on the radio confess what must be one of the worst experiences in their lives (sometimes sobbing while recollecting it), during the testimony. Some callers were saying that they had repressed the experience for 30 or more years and it all came out listening to Ford.
I found Ford to be incredibly moving and credible. Based on the reaction I've seen, most people did. Kavanaugh came off like a brute. I understand his umbrage to some extent, but his exchange with Klobuchar was entirely beyond the pale (especially after she had just finished saying her father was still going to AA meetings in his 90s).
As with everyone else here - it seemed extremely evident that he was lying about the drinking part. He knew that it's essentially not something that can be proven, and it would undermine his argument dramatically to say otherwise.
He doesnt deserve to be on the SCOTUS.
Edit - Also breaking that the American Bar Association is calling for a delay on the vote. I dont really know what weight that has (probably very little) - but Kavanaugh referenced the ABA about a dozen times in his testimony as a way to say he had been vetted and investigated enough times that he doesnt need to go through it again.
Is his wife leaving him? Did his kids disown him? Did he get fired from his current job? Is he being registered as a sex offender? Did he have to move his family due to death threats?
His life is intact.
And is Clarence Thomas known as the “nationally known rapist?”
Clarence Thomas was cleared by evidence. There is no national consensus on Kavanaugh, yet.
And you have no idea what his life is actually like right now, let's be honest.
Granted, I was like 8 when Thomas was nominated and appointed.
But reading on Wikipedia, it seems that Thomas was NOT CLEARED BY EVIDENCE, there wasn't enough evidence to say one way or the other, much as now with Kavanaugh. Thomas tied his Judiciary Committee, and it was sent to the full Senate, and he passed 52-48. He had 3-4 accusers, only one who was willing and allowed to testify, like Kavanaugh.
I think that maybe in the cards. I wouldn’t put it past the Democrats to impeach him for perjury if they win both the house and senate... doing this before they impeach trump.
They would be better to impeach Trump first. Although it would depend on what the charges were.
There is a legal saying called "fruit of the poisoned tree".
If Trump cold be proven to be an illegitimate president, then everything, EVERYTHING enacted under him would thus be illegal.
However, impeaching is difficult. Simple majority in house to pass the Article of Impeachment, and then 2/3 (67) Senate votes.
That actually isn't much harder than normal bills used to be, a sign of just how polarized things have gotten. Used to be 51 votes to pass something, but really 60 to pass cloture (cutting off filibusters for anything controversial). The difference is 51 vs 60 vs 67 senators.
In any event, it would have to be an incredible blue wave to flip the senate. There's just too many Democrats defending their seats relative to Republicans.
Democrats have 24 seats up for reelection, the 2 Independents who are traditionally with the Democrats, and Republicans have 9, for a total of 35 (33 is normal, plus a couple of special elections to replace temporary appointees). 10 of those Democrat seats were in states Trump won. Only 1 Republican seat was in a state Clinton won. It's being called the most unfavorable Senate electoral map ever.
Republicans are masters at winning elections. They are incompetent clowns once they get in power.
Because the Carter, Clinton and Obama years were flawlessly executed masterful examples of Democrat superiority. I certainly recall fondly how well the government worked in those years...
Certainly better in some ways. Democratic presidencies have had the strongest economies in the last 30 years, and Obama is the only reason I or my family had healthcare for 7 years.
Clinton left with a surplus, not deficit in the budget. Name me a Republican President is the time between Carter and now...
Trump, even if he doesn't add to the deficit in the next two years, has increased the deficit as much as Obama did in 8 years.
To be ABSOLUTELY FAIR, Clinton didn't actually leave with a surplus. He left with a PROJECTED surplus, pending any future Congressional laws that could affect future projections.
In any event, he sure as hell left with the economy in a better state than any President in the previous 40 years. However, yes, the economy was propped up by the dot-com bubble, and Bush II's tax cuts multiplied the effect when that bubble burst, which led into the real estate bubble.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “Total ‘Twilight Zone.’ And no, I’ve never done anything like that.”
Now he is lying about watching The Twilight Zone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oADlQPJ_Zfc “Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete” ― Rod Serling, Twilight Zone, The Obsolete Man
That is one of the most epic things I've ever seen within 1 minute.
The American Bar Association announcement will have zero effect. If there was a number less than zero, it would have that effect. As a matter of fact, the only people who have any influence at all in this right now are the constituents of Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake, and (of course) Joe f*****g Manchin. Flake will fold like he always does, Manchin will probably vote against him (but grudgingly), so it all comes down to these two so-called moderate Republicans from Maine and Alaska who, outside the health care vote, almost NEVER go against their party on anything, but are very good at convincing people that one day they hypothetically might do so.
The American Bar Association announcement will have zero effect. If there was a number less than zero, it would have that effect. As a matter of fact, the only people who have any influence at all in this right now are the constituents of Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake, and (of course) Joe f*****g Manchin. Flake will fold like he always does, Manchin will probably vote against him (but grudgingly), so it all comes down to these two so-called moderate Republicans from Maine and Alaska who, outside the health care vote, almost NEVER go against their party on anything, but are very good at convincing people that one day they hypothetically might do so.
The dems have the same problem with Manchin. Hypothetically he might vote for what Democrats want someday. Most days he just votes for whatever the Republicans do. He's the worst Democrat. Still he's better than the most moderate Republican but that's not very lofty praise at all.
If Trump cold be proven to be an illegitimate president, then everything, EVERYTHING enacted under him would thus be illegal.
I find this scenario doubtful. He's too good at lying and stacking the deck. He just doesn't care.
Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a person with more credibility than Donald Trump, wrote an account of Trump behaving oddly and destroying evidence as his former lawyer Michael Cohen left the office. “I saw him put a note in his mouth,” she writes . “Since Trump was ever the germaphobe, I was shocked he appeared to be chewing and swallowing the paper. It must have been something very, very sensitive.”
So unless Cohen really spilled his guts to Mueller and Trump is unsuccessful in his ongoing efforts at sabotaging the investigation and Trump really did do something awful and traitorous and left a evidence that Republicans in the House (especially) and the Senate won't be able to cover up it's unlikely we'll be seeing an annulled presidency.
By the way, another reason for the urgency for Kavanaugh is there's a case due to come before the Supreme Court in October, Gamble v. United States, that could be decided in Trump's favor to prevent states from prosecuting people pardoned by Trump for state crimes. So after putting his ringer on the Supreme Court, Trump will be able to offer pardons and his criminal buddies will know they can't be tried for state crimes for the offenses. The Supreme Court is going to increase Trump's power to pardon in October, gotta have some Bart Kavanaugh! Gotta stack that deck.
There's a 150-year-old exception to the Fifth Amendment’s double-jeopardy clause that allows state and federal courts to prosecute the same person for the same criminal offense. According to the brief he filed on September 11 Republican Senator Orrin Hatch believes the doctrine should be overturned.
So the game's rigged got to confirm Kavanaugh. Tomorrow's vote is a formality.
Rod Serling is a forgotten social and political legend.
A young jewish boy who joined the military the day after graduating high school. He was a paratrooper and demolitions expert. Saw death and horror on a daily basis of which forged his high degree of morality. Rod saw the consequence of injustice, bigotry and hatred first hand.
When he returned from the war he went to college to study literature on the G.I bill. He tested parachutes and experimental ejector seats for the air force part-time for extra cash to substitute his freelance writing.
The Twilight Zone was the result of Rod's war against censorship and the desire to tell real and affecting stories. He battled the TV networks, the shows sponsors and even broadcast standards and practices to get each episode produced and on the air. His scripts challenged the audience and the honeyed words of politicians, religious figures, intellectual laziness, and ever-increasing consumerism. He spoke against war, gender and racial inequality. Highlighting humanity's capability for great beauty, and great wickedness.
In doing so his scripts not only built the vast wealth of stories and tropes we think of as modern science fiction, but he redefined what a television show was allowed to be. Speaking past the propaganda to touch the hearts and minds of all those who bore witness to his message.
We could use a Rod Serling right now.
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone."
I couldn't bear to watch too much of Kavanaugh's testimony, but I couldn't help being reminded of the Jonathan Aitken case. Most of you won't know him, but he was a British MP and a member of the government in the 1990s. A Guardian investigation of dodgy arms dealings with Saudi Arabian businessmen in 1995 led to Aitken threatening to sue them. He took an emotional stance about the impact on his good name and said "If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight. The fight against falsehood and those who peddle it." Perhaps it's not surprising that I find it difficult to avoid being sceptical about people fighting to clear their 'good name' .
Trump is another who likes to threaten to sue, but Aitken didn't have Trump's caution about actually doing so. He sued for libel in 1997 and duly lost the case. As a result of the lies he told in that trial he was subsequently charged with perjury and sent to prison in 1999.
Interestingly, prior to his imprisonment, Aitken claimed to have had a revival in his religious convictions. People were (understandably) very sceptical about that. However, since going to prison Aitken does seem to have been something of a model citizen, doing plenty of good public works. He says he found, at least in retrospect, his trial and incarceration to be a good thing (perhaps a rare instance of prison working to help reform someone). He was ordained as a deacon earlier this year.
One other point that might be of interest is that Aitken has written a number of books. One of those was a 1993 biography of Nixon. Though not technically an authorized biography, Nixon did provide support for the project, including making himself available for interviews. It seems though that he didn't pass on lessons learned about how to stay out of trouble ...
I think there's a certain narcissism to people like Nixon, Trump and Kavanaugh. They feel they are beyond the rules of normal people and can do whatever the hell they want without conscience. To include sexual assault of people with less power than they have (afaik not in Nixon's case). Rules are for suckers, I do what I want because of my big brain I'm smarter than everyone, don't you challenge me weakling.
Nixon received no punishment once he resigned. Trump is president of the most powerful country in the world. Kavanaugh will be a member of the supreme court.
We don't matter.
"Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses." - Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81
Read history. The people have always been about bread and circuses. Maybe not in Sparta so much, but that doesn't strike me as being a model example of how society should be. At least we have soccer now instead of public executions!
The American Bar Association announcement will have zero effect. If there was a number less than zero, it would have that effect. As a matter of fact, the only people who have any influence at all in this right now are the constituents of Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake, and (of course) Joe f*****g Manchin. Flake will fold like he always does
Flake doesn't matter, he's retiring. He'll do whatever he feels like doing.
It strikes me that the arguments in this case have basically completely abandoned the idea that Professor Ford was lying. It seems that the defense of Kavanaugh is now just ignoring her altogether, and simply focused on this primal scream aggrievement narrative about "the left". Her testimony was too credible, so they are just pretending like it didn't happen.
Beyond that, how does anyone imagine a guy willing to declare before a Senate committee that "the Clintons" were out to get him will rule on ANY issue??
Kavs classmates are saying he lied about not drinking too excess.
He also lied and perjured himself about the sex entries in his yearbook including about the meaning of the devil's triangle (it's definitely never been a drinking game it's a type threesome). Boofed is a term for some kind of anal sex. FFFFFourthofJuly means have sex and forget a girl on the 4th (Google if you care). And obviously the alumnus of the girl, what's that supposed to mean?
So he was lying lying lying, avoiding questions, doesn't want an investigation to clear his 'good' name which if he did nothing wrong wouldn't be a problem. A disgusting guy.
It strikes me that the arguments in this case have basically completely abandoned the idea that Professor Ford was lying. It seems that the defense of Kavanaugh is now just ignoring her altogether, and simply focused on this primal scream aggrievement narrative about "the left". Her testimony was too credible, so they are just pretending like it didn't happen.
Beyond that, how does anyone imagine a guy willing to declare before a Senate committee that "the Clintons" were out to get him will rule on ANY issue??
Just cause you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you ??
Even after all the testimony yesterday, if the FBI didn't find anything indicating culpability in any of its previous investigations into Kavanaugh's background then they aren't going to find anything new or relevant this time, either. Also, it is my understanding that a person who is a sexual predator as a teenager or young adult will continue this behavior into adulthood; given that there is no indication that Kavanaugh has engaged in that type of activity as an adult--it would have been discovered in the previous FBI investigations into his background--one may conclude that he is not a predator. He is not the sort of person with whom I would have been friends back in high school or college--he was far too wild, irresponsible, and aggressive--but none of that actually matters here; instead, his professional record and his judicial ruling history are the pertinent issues.
We have been experiencing this public train wreck of a hearing and there really hasn't been any reason for it. No person on the Committee and no individual Senator has had their mind changed by the public hearings--every person who is going to cast a vote about his confirmation already had their minds made up last week. If midterm elections were not 6 weeks away I doubt things would have transpired they way they did.
It is possible that Kavanaugh had indeed perjured himself at some point. Unfortunately, until he is convicted of perjury all we have are allegations and allegations don't mean anything.
edit/add: oh--I see that Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono, Kamala Harris, Richard Blumenthal, and Sheldon Whitehouse have walked out of the Committee hearing. Given that they are abandoning their duty, abdicating their role as "Senator", they should be removed from office for not having the fortitude to stay and vote "no", even if the decision doesn't go their way. This isn't an elementary school playground--in the Senate you do *not* have the option of taking your marbles and going home.
Another story claims that Republicans probably don't have the 51 votes needed to confirm. I am not currently aware of all of the minutiae of the rules of the Senate, but I suspect that they don't need the full 51, only a majority of a quorum. Someone check me on that--I am probably incorrect, but I am uncertain.
Even after all the testimony yesterday, if the FBI didn't find anything indicating culpability in any of its previous investigations into Kavanaugh's background then they aren't going to find anything new or relevant this time, either. Also, it is my understanding that a person who is a sexual predator as a teenager or young adult will continue this behavior into adulthood; given that there is no indication that Kavanaugh has engaged in that type of activity as an adult--it would have been discovered in the previous FBI investigations into his background--one may conclude that he is not a predator. He is not the sort of person with whom I would have been friends back in high school or college--he was far too wild, irresponsible, and aggressive--but none of that actually matters here; instead, his professional record and his judicial ruling history are the pertinent issues.
We have been experiencing this public train wreck of a hearing and there really hasn't been any reason for it. No person on the Committee and no individual Senator has had their mind changed by the public hearings--every person who is going to cast a vote about his confirmation already had their minds made up last week. If midterm elections were not 6 weeks away I doubt things would have transpired they way they did.
It is possible that Kavanaugh had indeed perjured himself at some point. Unfortunately, until he is convicted of perjury all we have are allegations and allegations don't mean anything.
I understand the technical standards you are applying here, but based on these parameters, no Supreme Court nominee will ever be able to be held accountable for anything.
They didn't change their mind because they stuck to the strategy that they'd made beforehand. And Kavanaugh was in on it. The strategy is "blame the democrats for causing me to attempt rape and get slobbering drunk1!" and turn Ford into an it - as in the Democrats "used it to attack this good man!"
The FBI could absolutely investigate these allegations. They haven't before because no one brought them up. Kavanaugh would have provided character witnesses who either lied for him or didn't see the drinking and debauchery. They would track down these references that Kav provided and they would vouch and that's it.
Their minds weren't made up last week, their minds were made up when Trump announced the pick and they've been doing all they can to "win". They have had zero interest in a fair or impartial hearing. Their strategy yesterday was blatant partisanship and lie lie lie. Kavanaugh was in on it. Disgusting.
It might have flipped votes in the senate, not the committee. That’s what this show was about.
I’ve also been thinking, I think Trump’s “I’m a germaphobe” is just another lie that he tells people. For example is there any evidence of him wiping down a steering wheel on a golf cart? A real germaphobe would do that every time they set foot in the thing. He also shakes hands with wiping right after.
It might have flipped votes in the senate, not the committee. That’s what this show was about.
I’ve also been thinking, I think Trump’s “I’m a germaphobe” is just another lie that he tells people. For example is there any evidence of him wiping down a steering wheel on a golf cart? A real germaphobe would do that every time they set foot in the thing. He also shakes hands with wiping right after.
The germaphobe thing is selective. As in he has no problems having unprotected sex with women like Stormy Daniels and others. Maybe he won't drink after strangers or whatever. His germaphobeness wouldn't effect the Russian pee thing either because no one said the prostitutes peed on him, they supposedly peed on the bed and he watched from across the way.
First off, your understanding that a sexual predator will continue his behavior indefinitely is wrong, especially when considering date rape or rape of not conscious victims and when committed by young men. That is because it is an opportunistic crime, not driven by an uncontrollable urge to rape. I do not have time to drag up my sources for this (may do so later), but then neither did you and at least I am correct.
Secondly, usually any investigation is much more effective when it knows where to look. This is not just the case for criminal investigation but also the case in medicine, which is why little children are harder to diagnose.
Thirdly, there is a low fruit here for an investigation: is there evidence that Kavanaugh is a mean drunk, including aggressive behavior and black-outs? This is reasonably possible to investigate even after all these years. If there is no evidence for this, it will weaken the testimony by Ford considerably. If there is evidence for it, it not only makes her claims more plausible, it will also show he perjured himself during the meeting, which should be disqualifying. Fact is, we already know there is evidence for it.
I understand the technical standards you are applying here, but based on these parameters, no Supreme Court nominee will ever be able to be held accountable for anything.
He should have been held accountable back in high school and college when he was being sexually aggressive towards women. The Senate is not a courtroom--unless he commits perjury while under oath they cannot hold him accountable for anything he might have done other than voting to deny confirmation.
Their minds weren't made up last week, their minds were made up when Trump announced the pick and they've been doing all they can to "win". They have had zero interest in a fair or impartial hearing. Their strategy yesterday was blatant partisanship and lie lie lie. Kavanaugh was in on it. Disgusting.
That is what we call "politics". It is dirty and I don't agree with the philosophy of "win at any cost, no matter how dirty your hands may get" but I don't deny the reality of it. If the Democrats had a majority in the Senate, a Democratic President had made a nomination with which the Republicans vehemently disagreed, and that person were up for a confirmation vote then Democrats would be saying "let's just satisfy our 'advice and consent' requirement then hold an up-or-down vote".
First off, your understanding that a sexual predator will continue his behavior indefinitely is wrong, especially when considering date rape or rape of not conscious victims and when committed by young men. That is because it is an opportunistic crime, not driven by an uncontrollable urge to rape. I do not have time to drag up my sources for this (may do so later), but then neither did you and at least I am correct.
I don't need sources to state an opinion--I never claimed to be a psychologist. I don't think like a sexual predator and so I don't really know how they think.
Being a "mean drunk" is not a crime, unless you become drunk and disorderly in public. I have already stated that Dr. Ford's allegations are most likely true. It is truly unfortunate that Kavanaugh--and people like him--are not reported quickly so that they may face justice the moment they deserve it.
That is what we call "politics". It is dirty and I don't agree with the philosophy of "win at any cost, no matter how dirty your hands may get" but I don't deny the reality of it. If the Democrats had a majority in the Senate, a Democratic President had made a nomination with which the Republicans vehemently disagreed, and that person were up for a confirmation vote then Democrats would be saying "let's just satisfy our 'advice and consent' requirement then hold an up-or-down vote".
Not if the guy was this much of a scumbag partisan. It is not a "both sides are the same thing". Democrats play fair. If the Democrats nominated a guy, it could be George Washington, Republicans WOULD oppose him so what are Democrats supposed to do? Obama was a decent enough guy, Republicans tanked their own legislation just to try to make him look bad. And Obamacare is a Republican plan (Romneycare), Republicans oppose it vehemently. There were like 86 filibustered nominees in the history of the US before Obama. Under Obama they filibustered another 86 in the first two years. Obama wasn't nominating scumbags like Trump keeps nominating either but Republicans just wanted to obstruct everything.
Obama also being the first president to be denied a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee, the first to be denied a hearing on his budget, and the first to be asked to show his birth certificate. Obama faced more than 500 filibusters in the Senate according to Harry Reid. One party is operating in bad faith, one!
Remember Merrick Garland? Republicans completely blocked Obama’s Supreme Court nominee from having any public hearings or votes for 293 days. Do you remember the Democratic equivalent of Lindsey Graham crying and screaming and gnashing his teeth? There wasn't one. False equivalence. Do you remember when Al Franken resigned? Would he have if he was a Republican Senator? I think we can see he wouldn't with Roy Moore's campaign and Trump as President even after the Access Hollywood tape. One party is a completely devoid of morals. They've failed their tests multiple multiple times.
Democrats want to work within the system, Republicans find the system a hindrance to doing whatever the hell they think they deserve (power, more money, "me"). They are anti-American fake patriots. They are rule breakers that blame the system for getting in the way.
This is false equivalence that the Republicans prey on. "We are going to be awful because we assume that the other side is awful so we're going to be awful." But its just an excuse in the end for them operating in bad faith.
They are at the point they just do awful corrupt democracy breaking things. Sometimes they might lazily point a finger saying those guys might be considering about some day retaliating against our awfulness so we had just better preemptively do this terrible disgusting thing right now!
Comments
Edit: nevermind, I googled it.
It's heartbreaking to hear strangers on the radio confess what must be one of the worst experiences in their lives (sometimes sobbing while recollecting it), during the testimony. Some callers were saying that they had repressed the experience for 30 or more years and it all came out listening to Ford.
I found Ford to be incredibly moving and credible. Based on the reaction I've seen, most people did. Kavanaugh came off like a brute. I understand his umbrage to some extent, but his exchange with Klobuchar was entirely beyond the pale (especially after she had just finished saying her father was still going to AA meetings in his 90s).
As with everyone else here - it seemed extremely evident that he was lying about the drinking part. He knew that it's essentially not something that can be proven, and it would undermine his argument dramatically to say otherwise.
He doesnt deserve to be on the SCOTUS.
Edit - Also breaking that the American Bar Association is calling for a delay on the vote. I dont really know what weight that has (probably very little) - but Kavanaugh referenced the ABA about a dozen times in his testimony as a way to say he had been vetted and investigated enough times that he doesnt need to go through it again.
WHY HAS NO ONE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE?!
Anyways, back to politics Granted, I was like 8 when Thomas was nominated and appointed.
But reading on Wikipedia, it seems that Thomas was NOT CLEARED BY EVIDENCE, there wasn't enough evidence to say one way or the other, much as now with Kavanaugh. Thomas tied his Judiciary Committee, and it was sent to the full Senate, and he passed 52-48. He had 3-4 accusers, only one who was willing and allowed to testify, like Kavanaugh. They would be better to impeach Trump first. Although it would depend on what the charges were.
There is a legal saying called "fruit of the poisoned tree".
If Trump cold be proven to be an illegitimate president, then everything, EVERYTHING enacted under him would thus be illegal.
However, impeaching is difficult. Simple majority in house to pass the Article of Impeachment, and then 2/3 (67) Senate votes.
That actually isn't much harder than normal bills used to be, a sign of just how polarized things have gotten. Used to be 51 votes to pass something, but really 60 to pass cloture (cutting off filibusters for anything controversial). The difference is 51 vs 60 vs 67 senators.
In any event, it would have to be an incredible blue wave to flip the senate. There's just too many Democrats defending their seats relative to Republicans.
Democrats have 24 seats up for reelection, the 2 Independents who are traditionally with the Democrats, and Republicans have 9, for a total of 35 (33 is normal, plus a couple of special elections to replace temporary appointees). 10 of those Democrat seats were in states Trump won. Only 1 Republican seat was in a state Clinton won. It's being called the most unfavorable Senate electoral map ever. To be ABSOLUTELY FAIR, Clinton didn't actually leave with a surplus. He left with a PROJECTED surplus, pending any future Congressional laws that could affect future projections.
In any event, he sure as hell left with the economy in a better state than any President in the previous 40 years. However, yes, the economy was propped up by the dot-com bubble, and Bush II's tax cuts multiplied the effect when that bubble burst, which led into the real estate bubble. I'm the Kavanaught, BITCH! That is one of the most epic things I've ever seen within 1 minute.
Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a person with more credibility than Donald Trump, wrote an account of Trump behaving oddly and destroying evidence as his former lawyer Michael Cohen left the office. “I saw him put a note in his mouth,” she writes . “Since Trump was ever the germaphobe, I was shocked he appeared to be chewing and swallowing the paper. It must have been something very, very sensitive.”
So unless Cohen really spilled his guts to Mueller and Trump is unsuccessful in his ongoing efforts at sabotaging the investigation and Trump really did do something awful and traitorous and left a evidence that Republicans in the House (especially) and the Senate won't be able to cover up it's unlikely we'll be seeing an annulled presidency.
By the way, another reason for the urgency for Kavanaugh is there's a case due to come before the Supreme Court in October, Gamble v. United States, that could be decided in Trump's favor to prevent states from prosecuting people pardoned by Trump for state crimes. So after putting his ringer on the Supreme Court, Trump will be able to offer pardons and his criminal buddies will know they can't be tried for state crimes for the offenses. The Supreme Court is going to increase Trump's power to pardon in October, gotta have some Bart Kavanaugh! Gotta stack that deck.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/09/trump-pardon-orrin-hatch-supreme-court/571285/
There's a 150-year-old exception to the Fifth Amendment’s double-jeopardy clause that allows state and federal courts to prosecute the same person for the same criminal offense. According to the brief he filed on September 11 Republican Senator Orrin Hatch believes the doctrine should be overturned.
So the game's rigged got to confirm Kavanaugh. Tomorrow's vote is a formality.
A young jewish boy who joined the military the day after graduating high school. He was a paratrooper and demolitions expert. Saw death and horror on a daily basis of which forged his high degree of morality. Rod saw the consequence of injustice, bigotry and hatred first hand.
When he returned from the war he went to college to study literature on the G.I bill. He tested parachutes and experimental ejector seats for the air force part-time for extra cash to substitute his freelance writing.
The Twilight Zone was the result of Rod's war against censorship and the desire to tell real and affecting stories. He battled the TV networks, the shows sponsors and even broadcast standards and practices to get each episode produced and on the air. His scripts challenged the audience and the honeyed words of politicians, religious figures, intellectual laziness, and ever-increasing consumerism. He spoke against war, gender and racial inequality. Highlighting humanity's capability for great beauty, and great wickedness.
In doing so his scripts not only built the vast wealth of stories and tropes we think of as modern science fiction, but he redefined what a television show was allowed to be. Speaking past the propaganda to touch the hearts and minds of all those who bore witness to his message.
We could use a Rod Serling right now.
Trump is another who likes to threaten to sue, but Aitken didn't have Trump's caution about actually doing so. He sued for libel in 1997 and duly lost the case. As a result of the lies he told in that trial he was subsequently charged with perjury and sent to prison in 1999.
Interestingly, prior to his imprisonment, Aitken claimed to have had a revival in his religious convictions. People were (understandably) very sceptical about that. However, since going to prison Aitken does seem to have been something of a model citizen, doing plenty of good public works. He says he found, at least in retrospect, his trial and incarceration to be a good thing (perhaps a rare instance of prison working to help reform someone). He was ordained as a deacon earlier this year.
One other point that might be of interest is that Aitken has written a number of books. One of those was a 1993 biography of Nixon. Though not technically an authorized biography, Nixon did provide support for the project, including making himself available for interviews. It seems though that he didn't pass on lessons learned about how to stay out of trouble ...
Nixon received no punishment once he resigned.
Trump is president of the most powerful country in the world.
Kavanaugh will be a member of the supreme court.
We don't matter.
"Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses." - Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81
Beyond that, how does anyone imagine a guy willing to declare before a Senate committee that "the Clintons" were out to get him will rule on ANY issue??
He also lied and perjured himself about the sex entries in his yearbook including about the meaning of the devil's triangle (it's definitely never been a drinking game it's a type threesome). Boofed is a term for some kind of anal sex. FFFFFourthofJuly means have sex and forget a girl on the 4th (Google if you care). And obviously the alumnus of the girl, what's that supposed to mean?
So he was lying lying lying, avoiding questions, doesn't want an investigation to clear his 'good' name which if he did nothing wrong wouldn't be a problem. A disgusting guy.
We have been experiencing this public train wreck of a hearing and there really hasn't been any reason for it. No person on the Committee and no individual Senator has had their mind changed by the public hearings--every person who is going to cast a vote about his confirmation already had their minds made up last week. If midterm elections were not 6 weeks away I doubt things would have transpired they way they did.
It is possible that Kavanaugh had indeed perjured himself at some point. Unfortunately, until he is convicted of perjury all we have are allegations and allegations don't mean anything.
edit/add: oh--I see that Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono, Kamala Harris, Richard Blumenthal, and Sheldon Whitehouse have walked out of the Committee hearing. Given that they are abandoning their duty, abdicating their role as "Senator", they should be removed from office for not having the fortitude to stay and vote "no", even if the decision doesn't go their way. This isn't an elementary school playground--in the Senate you do *not* have the option of taking your marbles and going home.
Another story claims that Republicans probably don't have the 51 votes needed to confirm. I am not currently aware of all of the minutiae of the rules of the Senate, but I suspect that they don't need the full 51, only a majority of a quorum. Someone check me on that--I am probably incorrect, but I am uncertain.
The FBI could absolutely investigate these allegations. They haven't before because no one brought them up. Kavanaugh would have provided character witnesses who either lied for him or didn't see the drinking and debauchery. They would track down these references that Kav provided and they would vouch and that's it.
Their minds weren't made up last week, their minds were made up when Trump announced the pick and they've been doing all they can to "win". They have had zero interest in a fair or impartial hearing. Their strategy yesterday was blatant partisanship and lie lie lie. Kavanaugh was in on it. Disgusting.
I’ve also been thinking, I think Trump’s “I’m a germaphobe” is just another lie that he tells people. For example is there any evidence of him wiping down a steering wheel on a golf cart? A real germaphobe would do that every time they set foot in the thing. He also shakes hands with wiping right after.
First off, your understanding that a sexual predator will continue his behavior indefinitely is wrong, especially when considering date rape or rape of not conscious victims and when committed by young men. That is because it is an opportunistic crime, not driven by an uncontrollable urge to rape. I do not have time to drag up my sources for this (may do so later), but then neither did you and at least I am correct.
Secondly, usually any investigation is much more effective when it knows where to look. This is not just the case for criminal investigation but also the case in medicine, which is why little children are harder to diagnose.
Thirdly, there is a low fruit here for an investigation: is there evidence that Kavanaugh is a mean drunk, including aggressive behavior and black-outs? This is reasonably possible to investigate even after all these years. If there is no evidence for this, it will weaken the testimony by Ford considerably. If there is evidence for it, it not only makes her claims more plausible, it will also show he perjured himself during the meeting, which should be disqualifying. Fact is, we already know there is evidence for it.
Being a "mean drunk" is not a crime, unless you become drunk and disorderly in public. I have already stated that Dr. Ford's allegations are most likely true. It is truly unfortunate that Kavanaugh--and people like him--are not reported quickly so that they may face justice the moment they deserve it.
Obama also being the first president to be denied a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee, the first to be denied a hearing on his budget, and the first to be asked to show his birth certificate. Obama faced more than 500 filibusters in the Senate according to Harry Reid. One party is operating in bad faith, one!
Remember Merrick Garland? Republicans completely blocked Obama’s Supreme Court nominee from having any public hearings or votes for 293 days. Do you remember the Democratic equivalent of Lindsey Graham crying and screaming and gnashing his teeth? There wasn't one. False equivalence. Do you remember when Al Franken resigned? Would he have if he was a Republican Senator? I think we can see he wouldn't with Roy Moore's campaign and Trump as President even after the Access Hollywood tape. One party is a completely devoid of morals. They've failed their tests multiple multiple times.
Democrats want to work within the system, Republicans find the system a hindrance to doing whatever the hell they think they deserve (power, more money, "me"). They are anti-American fake patriots. They are rule breakers that blame the system for getting in the way.
This is false equivalence that the Republicans prey on. "We are going to be awful because we assume that the other side is awful so we're going to be awful." But its just an excuse in the end for them operating in bad faith.
They are at the point they just do awful corrupt democracy breaking things. Sometimes they might lazily point a finger saying those guys might be considering about some day retaliating against our awfulness so we had just better preemptively do this terrible disgusting thing right now!