Why Republicans Are Digging In Heels After Second Kavanaugh Accusation

Judge Brett Kavanaugh poses for photographs with Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) before a meeting in McConnell's office in the U.S. Capitol July 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to succeed retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: (L-R) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Vice President Mike Pence and former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) greet one another before a meeting in McConnell's office... WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: (L-R) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Vice President Mike Pence and former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) greet one another before a meeting in McConnell's office in the U.S. Capitol July 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to succeed retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Instead of seeing Deborah Ramirez’s sexual misconduct accusation as the death knell for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans are rallying behind their claim that her story is flimsy, the reporting on it thin and the timing of it indicative of a full-scale liberal smear campaign to torpedo President Donald Trump’s nominee.

According to a Monday Politico report, while the smear campaign talking points were dispersed among White House staffers and congressional Republicans, Trump was insisting that the whole phalanx come out much harder against Ramirez than the tepid response he feels Republicans had to professor Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation.

Republicans reportedly see more room to sow doubt in Ramirez’s accusation, due to the combination of lack of first-hand witnesses, silence from Senate Republicans who were vocal on Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh’s hasty denial and refusal to bow out.

Per Politico, Democrats, on the other hand, think that Republicans are embracing an anti-woman narrative that will hurt them with crucial constituencies in the midterms.

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  1. Avatar for cinfl cinfl says:

    Democrats, on the other hand, think that Republicans are embracing an anti-woman narrative that will hurt them with crucial constituencies in the midterms.

    One would hope this is the case. I suspect too that the “thin Reporting” would become a lot thicker if they were to call some of those folk to testify under oath before the Senate committee. I further believe this is another reason to dismiss it out of hand. If it’s not taken seriously they don’t have to investigate and have it suddenly become much more serious than it is.

  2. Careful here, GOP. You love it that Ramirez admits she was drinking and her memories are fuzzy. But don’t confuse honesty with weakness. There’s a larger world than yours in which people value and respect honesty. Sounds like crazy talk to you, but I’m quite serious. So there’s that. There’s also the fact that when more stories come out in a similar vein, the ones that came before grow in credibility. So don’t start licking your chops and betting the farm on this one, gang.

  3. Excellent! At the end of the day, the creep will lose his DC Circuit judgeship, too!

  4. Avatar for jmacaz jmacaz says:

    BUT there seems to be quite a bit of corroboration of Ramirez’s story. I hope they do bet the farm, and the dust bowl sweeps in.

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