[Winstonm]

Just returned last night from a trip to Tuscany to find little has changed in the world of Dennison: Paul Manafort has flipped and nominee Kavanaugh has been accused of being a rapist. It's good to see stable leadership at the top.

[hrothgar]

Very disappointed to see how pro-forma the FBI investigation will be.

Given the restrictions on their investigation, its hard to imagine how they can turn up anything.
In particular, the fact that they can not talk to Swetnick is a travesty.

[ggwhiz]

hrothgar, on 2018-September-30, 15:00, said:

Very disappointed to see how pro-forma the FBI investigation will be.

Given the restrictions on their investigation, its hard to imagine how they can turn up anything.
In particular, the fact that they can not talk to Swetnick is a travesty.

I believe I also saw that Swetnick has a history of filing lawsuits that puts her low on the credibility scale.

I am more optimistic. Surely they can find a number of people that saw him falling down drunk, especially at Yale and maybe even the guy that yelled out "Hey, Kavanaugh just stuck his penis in Debbies face".

His calendar and Mark Judges employment records may well pinpoint July 1st as a credible date for the attempted rape and they can find and interview any number of his frat bro's from Yale including about Swetnicks claims.

Let the FBI unleash a ton of resources on the other 2 allegations. I understand they are really good at this.

[Al_U_Card]

ggwhiz, on 2018-September-30, 16:59, said:

I believe I also saw that Swetnick has a history of filing lawsuits that puts her low on the credibility scale.

I am more optimistic. Surely they can find a number of people that saw him falling down drunk, especially at Yale and maybe even the guy that yelled out "Hey, Kavanaugh just stuck his penis in Debbies face".

His calendar and Mark Judges employment records may well pinpoint July 1st as a credible date for the attempted rape and they can find and interview any number of his frat bro's from Yale including about Swetnicks claims.

Let the FBI unleash a ton of resources on the other 2 allegations. I understand they are really good at this.

Hmmnn FBI, Federal Bureau of Instigation? Inveiglement? Incompetence? With all its deep-state anti-Trumper magicians, surely they can conjure the ghost of J Edgar and come up with something .... anything?

[hrothgar]

ggwhiz, on 2018-September-30, 16:59, said:

I believe I also saw that Swetnick has a history of filing lawsuits that puts her low on the credibility scale.

Swetnick holds multiple security clearances.
Her work depends on her keeping them.
And she made a sworn deposition.

My take on things: She has an awful lot to lose.
I'd rate her as pretty damn reliable.

Luckily, there is an easy way that we can find out who is telling the truth...

[ggwhiz]

Al_U_Card, on 2018-September-30, 17:19, said:

With all its deep-state anti-Trumper magicians,

A Jim Jones disciple

[Winstonm]

This is an interesting take on conservatism from conservative Eliot Cohen:

Quote

Perhaps the collapse of modern conservatism came out most clearly in Kavanaugh’s own testimony—its self-pity, its hysteria, its conjuring up of conspiracies, its vindictiveness. He and his family had no doubt suffered agonies. But if we expect steely resolve from a police officer confronting a knife-wielding assailant, or disciplined courage from a firefighter rushing into a burning house, we should expect stoic self-control and calm from a conservative judge, even if his heart is being eaten out. No one watching those proceedings could imagine that a Democrat standing before this judge’s bench in the future would get a fair hearing. This was not the conservative temperament on display. It was, rather, personalized grievance politics.

https://www.theatlan...rvative/571747/

And isn't it a delicious irony that Republicans are crying about Swetnick's history of lawsuit involvements while Dennison's penchant for using lawsuits to his advantage is considered business-savvy?

[hrothgar]

ggwhiz, on 2018-September-30, 19:45, said:

A Jim Jones disciple

It took me a long time to figure out Al's particular strain of stupid, however, I am pretty sure that he is a LaRouchie.

[cherdano]

hrothgar, on 2018-September-30, 18:13, said:

Swetnick holds multiple security clearances.
Her work depends on her keeping them.
And she made a sworn deposition.

My take on things: She has an awful lot to lose.
I'd rate her as pretty damn reliable.

Not sure about that. Her affidavit is vague enough that it would be hard to disprove.
What really makes it (at least partially) credible is the corroboration from Judge's ex-girl friend.

[y66]

From Nathan J. Robinson's 9/29 opinion piece about Brett Kavanaugh:

Quote

What does it say about this country that this is the state of our discourse? That Kavanaugh even stands any chance of being made one of the most powerful figures in the American government, with control over life and liberty? That a man like this is even a judge? He went before the United States Senate and showed total contempt for his vow to tell the truth. He attempted to portray a highly esteemed doctor as a crazy person, by consistently misrepresenting the evidence. He treated the public like we were idiots, like we wouldn’t notice as he pretended he was ralphing during Beach Week from too many jalapeños, as he feigned ignorance about sex slang, as he misread his own meticulously-kept 1982 summer calendar, as he replied to questions about his drinking habits by talking about church, as he suggested there are no alcoholics at Yale, as he denied knowing who “Bart O’Kavanaugh” could possibly be based on, as he declared things refuted that weren’t actually refuted, as he claimed witnesses said things they didn’t say, as he failed to explain why nearly a dozen Yale classmates said he drank heavily, as he invented an imaginary drinking game to avoid admitting he had the mind of a sports jock in high school, as he said Ford had only accused him last week, as he responded to his roommate’s eyewitness statement with an incoherent story about furniture, as he pretended Bethesda wasn’t five miles wide, as he insisted Renate should be flattered by the ditty about how easy she was, as he declared that distinguished federal judges don’t commit sexual misconduct even though he had clerked for exactly such a judge.

And what does it say about us, and our political system, that he might well get away with it?

[Winstonm]

Winstonm, on 2018-September-30, 14:57, said:

Just returned last night from a trip to Tuscany to find little has changed in the world of Dennison: Paul Manafort has flipped and nominee Kavanaugh has been accused of being a rapist. It's good to see stable leadership at the top.

I was quite disappointed to find the Trastevere area in Rome has significantly declined over the past 4 years, with graffiti everywhere and panhandlers galore - it had turned quite seedy and no longer seemed the inviting and ingratiating place it was when last I visited. I don't know if this change is related to the populist movement spreading throughout Europe, but it made me recall the tour guide we had in 2014 who claimed many younger Italians were turning towards the lure of fascism due to extremely high unemployment within that younger group.

I certainly underestimated the numbers of Americans who would set aside common sense and logic in order to vote for a demagogue and con-man. The issue, though, is all about division. We have separated ourselves into two camps. Without finding again the common bond that helps us all feel prosperous and part of something larger than ourselves, we are in serious trouble.

It is not about making America great again but of making everyone's life good again.

[Al_U_Card]

Winstonm, on 2018-October-01, 10:45, said:

I was quite disappointed to find the Trastevere area in Rome has significantly declined over the past 4 years, with graffiti everywhere and panhandlers galore - it had turned quite seedy and no longer seemed the inviting and ingratiating place it was when last I visited. I don't know if this change is related to the populist movement spreading throughout Europe, but it made me recall the tour guide we had in 2014 who claimed many younger Italians were turning towards the lure of fascism due to extremely high unemployment within that younger group.

I certainly underestimated the numbers of Americans who would set aside common sense and logic in order to vote for a demagogue and con-man. The issue, though, is all about division. We have separated ourselves into two camps. Without finding again the common bond that helps us all feel prosperous and part of something larger than ourselves, we are in serious trouble.

It is not about making America great again but of making everyone's life good again.

I spent 10 days in Rome last April. VERY expensive, very beautiful (Villa Ada was exquisite) and FULL of "undocumented" refugees camped out at every retail store and sidewalk, cup-in-hand, looking for handouts. Canada has taken in a lot of Syrian refugees but it was well done. They were "integratable" but the mostly black Roman refugees appear to be well-dressed but without hope of gainful (legal) employ. An eventual powder keg, I would expect.

[hrothgar]

https://www.nbcnews..../amp/ncna915566

How did Kavanaugh know in July that Ramirez was going to invent a false narrative in September?

[johnu]

hrothgar, on 2018-October-01, 16:05, said:

https://www.nbcnews..../amp/ncna915566

How did Kavanaugh know in July that Ramirez was going to invent a false narrative in September?

Maybe he had a vision when he was blacked out from drinking???

[cherdano]

Now just imagine it came out that Kavanaugh used a private email account for official business during his time in the GWB administration. Republicans would eviscerate him for it!! Right?

[Winstonm]

A suggestion I have read about the answer to why Kavanaugh? is SCOTUS docket: 17-646 Gamble v US. This is a case that challenges a 150-year-old exception to double jeopardy that allows prosecution by both state and federal governments as "separate sovereigns".

Any ideas about it?

[Flem72]

I just want to talk to the person who drove Dr. Ford home -- a 20 minute drive -- from the party. Can't be identified? Won't come forward? One of the FACTS that buttressed Juanita Broderick's allegations against Bill Clinton was that several people encountered her immediately after the event and were able to speak about her disheveled condition and distraught emotional state.
What happened to the two guys who contacted the WaPo saying they were the two who jumped Dr. Ford? Hoax?
As usual, we cannot have the discussion we should be having: Should teen age mistakes in the context of an exemplary legal and personal life -- one might say redemption in action -- bar someone from SCOTUS?

[Winstonm]

Flem72, on 2018-October-02, 08:19, said:

Should teen age mistakes in the context of an exemplary legal and personal life -- one might say redemption in action -- bar someone from SCOTUS?

No, but lying to Congress and evidence of an inability to control anger along with overt partisan bias should be enough, don't you think?

[barmar]

Winstonm, on 2018-October-02, 08:24, said:

No, but lying to Congress and evidence of an inability to control anger along with overt partisan bias should be enough, don't you think?

Exactly. Kavanaugh's reaction to the allegations and the process surrounding it have shown his true colors. The bar for getting on the Supreme Court should be far higher than "not a sexual predator", it should be more like "has impeccable character and is able to judge things dispassionately and without personal bias".

Is that what we saw when he was shouting at Democratic Senators on Thursday?

[hrothgar]

Flem72, on 2018-October-02, 08:19, said:

As usual, we cannot have the discussion we should be having: Should teen age mistakes in the context of an exemplary legal and personal life -- one might say redemption in action -- bar someone from SCOTUS?

I prefer a much simpler discussion:

How many lies did Kavanugh tell during sworn testimony before the Senate on Thursday?

Plenty of time to discuss his teenage mistakes during his impeachment hearings.