In just four days, Christine Ford went from anonymous letter-writer to willing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine Ford is the California psychology professor who says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party in 1982.
It's a serious accusation, which Kavanaugh unequivocally denies. In a statement yesterday, Kavanaugh said:
I have never done anything like what the accuser describes – to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday.
Kavanaugh says he is willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee, even though he already spent four marathon days in the hot seat, where Democrats had every opportunity to grill him about this.
Now, Christine Ford's lawyer says Ford is also "willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth," even if that means testifying before the committee. Democrats are also willing to do whatever it takes to tell her story, which is probably why we're hearing about it in the first place.
Ford's lawyer, Debra Katz, escalated the rhetoric yesterday, calling Kavanaugh's alleged assault, "attempted rape." Katz seems very convinced by Ford's story. But she wasn't as convinced by one of Bill Clinton's accusers in the 1990s. Katz told The New York Times in 1998 that she didn't think Paula Jones had a case.
The #MeToo movement can be a very one-way street sometimes.
She also excused Al Franken's alleged misbehavior because he wasn't a senator at the time of the incident. Interesting. The #MeToo movement can be a very one-way street sometimes.
For now, Judiciary Committee chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, says the committee's vote on Kavanaugh will go forward this Thursday. But not if Senate Democrats can help it. They were out in force yesterday, calling to delay the vote – at least until they have full control of Congress. You know, desperate times, desperate measures.