SCOTUS Watch

[Defiant]

We look like a shit show to the world right now.

Eh, I don't know if the rest of the world is paying attention to this, as opposed to other crap this administration has done that has affected the rest of the world.

[Defiant]

[LawBeefaroni]

Graham. Jesus. Paraphrasing, but basically he's a great guy now so no way he was "Bill Cosby in high school."

[Isgrimnur]

Cornyn of Texas kissing his ass, comparing this to the Mccarthy hearings.

Our senators (and reps too, for the most part) are the worst of the worst. It's embarrassing. We have a few decent guys in the house (even some decent Rs), but on the whole this state elects a bunch of complete jackasses.

Cornyn became Republican Whip in 2013. He sold his soul to the party long ago.

[GreenGoo]

My bad.

Still, all it takes is one complaint to HR and your "you like nice today" comment goes in your file with a warning to stop making them.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

[Paingod]

He could be sitting across from fuming baby Trump in that pic, having just upended his noodles and demanding a bubba.

[Defiant]

Is that pic unedited?

[Scoop20906]

This one is. Ok this is a bit funny.

[GreenGoo]

I've never been anywhere that had one of those.

At my job, if I tell someone, using these exact words, "You look nice today", and they decide that they want to interpret that in a sleazy way, I will absolutely get nailed for sexual harassment.

This.

[naednek]

Now Graham breaking their own hearing rules to go on a loud diatribe. Holy crap things are unraveling.

I don't understand why Grassley didn't stop, I mean I do, REPUBLICAN BIAS, but if the dems did he shut it down like he did when Durbin asked him to request an investigation with the FBI

[Holman]

Holy shit, Durbin is pinning him down and Kav is not looking good. He refuses to say he welcomes an FBI investigation. He just sits there in quiet indignation and won't answer.

Big moment, from my viewing at least.

Yeah, that was a huge moment. Durbin was reasonable and fair and also very very clear that an FBI investigation could bring out the truth. He invited Kavanaugh directly to ask for the FBI to get involved, and Kav squirmed and evaded.

Durbin repeated the question evenly and calmly two or three more times while Kav angrily tried to change the subject, but Durbin wouldn't let him slip.

Finally Kavanaugh went into a long pause where it seemed he was about to break, when -BOOM- Grassley swept in and declared that HE was in charge of the proceedings and that there was NO NEED for the FBI because today's hearings WERE the investigation.

It was total bullshit. It was a rescue. Everyone saw it.

[Holman]

I guess Graham cashed whatever check he was given and now needs to make sure he delivers? This is meltdown after meltdown.

Graham is speaking to an audience of one. He's auditioning for Attorney General.

[Holman]

This is how interventions usually go, isn't it?

[Kraken]

You know he's lying if he says he never drank to excess or blacked out.

I don't understand. Blacking out is isn't universal to alcohol abuse is it? There were points in my live where I was dedicated to stupid drinker and I've never blacked out. I've always been fascinated by the concept. My evenings became all the more clear moment to moment the more drunk I became even as my coordination and ability to speak deteriorated from existence.. Lord knows blacking out would have been way cooler than living a life a hugging the toilet in slow motion moment to moment for hours and hours, just waiting the world stop spinning so I could sleep.

It's not universal but if you drink enough and your tolerance is such that overdrinking doesn't send you running to the toilet or make you pass out, it's pretty standard.

I had some unfortunate excessive drinking sessions in my teens that ended with driving the porcelain bus and even passing out. I never had memory blackouts. At least, I don't remember any.

[Fitzy]

I believe the Democrats are wasting their time on the FBI investigation given they only get 5 minutes. Although the Republican response is ridiculous, the Democrats can’t call witnesses. The Democrats might gain political points, but they aren’t going to find the truth.

Senator Klobuchar almost had the truth. Senator Coons went the same direction but got distracted by the FBI thing again.

It looks like Kavanaugh is an alcoholic but either doesn’t acknowledge it or won’t say it. If he’s in denial and a heavier drinker than he acknowledges it could very well be he doesn’t know what he did. Even beyond that, if he’s still denying it, if he’s not in treatment or remission, he should not be on the Supreme Court. He should be getting treatment and should be treated with kindness, but not confirmed.

[Rip]

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Don't forget that this is the party of old white men that are dead set on controlling a woman's reproductive system. I find comments like "she's attractive" to be so tone deaf as to be from another era. Like 70+ years ago era. Eventually they'll die off and a new crop of Reps will take their place, and they'll be much more savvy about their misogyny.

Plus...Utah.

Oh, come on. I agree with everything about the old white men of the GOP and reproductive rights, but that comment from Hatch is completely innocuous. Saying someone is an attractive witness is no different from my comment that she comes across as likeable. He's not saying "She's smoking hot!!!!!" That kind of thing is pure "gotchaism" (I think I made that up, but I'm sticking with it). But I'm sure it will be all over social media in no time.

Exactly!! Like that time Hatch said Kavaugh was an attractive judge.


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Or that time RBG said she was "really turned on" by the #METOO movement.......

[Defiant]

You know, there was a running joke in the old sitcom Becker, where Becker loves to drop into conversation how he went to Harvard. I thought it was magnified greatly for humors sake, cause I never heard anywhere near that much.

Until today. Did anyone have "I got into Yale" or "I went to Yale" in the pool for most stated phrase in the hearing?

[Defiant]

Did Grassley just call Senator Booker as Senator Borker?

Freudian slip?

[Defiant]

Good for Booker for not allowing Kavanaugh to interrupt him in his questions, like he's done repeatedly with other Senators.

[Blackhawk]

"Judge Kavanaugh, the Democrats are big bullies and we're sorry that they keep being mean to you. You must be so sad."
- Every Republican opener

[LordMortis]

This one is. Ok this is a bit funny.

Can you edit that so the lady on the lower left is making white supremacist OK sign?

[Defiant]

This one is. Ok this is a bit funny.

Can you edit that so the lady on the lower left is making white supremacist OK sign?

The guy in the upper left needs a thought bubble counting the cracks in the ceiling.

[Smoove_B]

"Judge Kavanaugh, the Democrats are big bullies and we're sorry that they keep being mean to you. You must be so sad."
- Every Republican opener

[Defiant]

Kavanaugh keeps passing the buck to the committee about getting an FBI investigation.

[Skinypupy]

If Christine Blasey Ford had been like this she would have been called a hysterical, shrill maniac

[naednek]

So my observations about today's hearing...

Dr. Ford: This happened on this day, this is how it happens, details, specifics, details, with occasional unrecalled moments

Judge Kavenaugh: I like beer, I was the # 1 basketball player, ignore direct questions, Did I say I like beer? And that I played sports and I was good at it? MMMMMMBEER

[Sepiche]

This one is. Ok this is a bit funny.

Wow. The looks on the assorted faces behind him speak volumes.

I'm not a mind reader, they may yet get Kavenaugh appointed, but I feel like the GOP lost a lot of female voters for a generation today.

[Zaxxon]

We can only hope (despite all evidence).

[Max Peck]

We look like a shit show to the world right now.

Eh, I don't know if the rest of the world is paying attention to this, as opposed to other crap this administration has done that has affected the rest of the world.

It's the top international story on the BBC news website today.

[Holman]

If Kav were confirmed and then it were decided that he had committed perjury (which he seemed to be merrily doing even before Ford's allegations came out) during these or earlier hearings, could he be impeached?

[Scoop20906]

Yes. He could be impeached.

[Grifman]

The Democrats did themselves no favors as to how this was handled. Because of this, the Republicans were able to ignore the real issue at hand (what K did or did not do) and instead make it about the Democrats and how they handled the allegations.

Feinstein should have gone to Grassley and told him of the anonymous allegation and come to an agreement as to how to proceed. We probably would have ended up in the same place, but you would have taken big card off the table that the Republicans could not play.

Right now their base, which is all that matters, is very happy. Yes, this probably means they lose the mid terms because this is going to lose them women voters, but they will have their SC seat.

[Holman]

And here we go:

Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!

Despite everything we saw today--basically the impossibility of disbelieving Ford and of believing Kavanagh--the GOP will be all in. They want him on the court next week.

I suppose there's still a chance that Collins will balk.

Murkowski is ...probably... a No.

Flake is a spineless coward who will find a way to vote "Yes but with humility and regret."

[Skinypupy]

And here we go:

Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!

Despite everything we saw today--basically the impossibility of disbelieving Ford and of believing Kavanagh--the GOP will be all in. They want him on the court next week.

I suppose there's still a chance that Collins will balk.

Murkowski is ...probably... a No.

Flake is a spineless coward who will find a way to vote "Yes but with humility and regret."

Sadly, that’s exactly what I expect to happen.

[Defiant]

Because of this, the Republicans were able to ignore the real issue at hand (what K did or did not do) and instead make it about the Democrats

They were always going to do this, regardless of what the Democrats did or didn't do.

[YellowKing]

What you're seeing in Lindsey Graham's meltdown is anger at himself and the corrupt shithole his party has become. You don't get that bent out of shape unless you know deep down you're the asshole. It's pure cornered badger instinct.

I've seen it at work, I've seen it at home, I've seen it in public. The guy who's the most wrong is usually the one screaming the loudest and being the most belligerent.

[Holman]

This was a historic day. We saw a stark, severe contrast of accountability and privilege.

How the GOP votes will determine the framing in historical narrative, but we already know that today was about what America means in the early 21st century. We just don't yet know how.

[Defiant]

[Holman]

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