‘We need to turn the matter over to the FBI… That’s not my job…’
(Ben Sellers, Liberty Headlines) It seems that the only things that have been consistent about Democrats’ approach to the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh are their hypocrisy and the boundless willingness they have demonstrated to disrupt the process by any means necessary.
After rudimentary tactics such as heckling the Senate Judiciary Committee and attempting to threaten and extort potential swing votes both failed to hinder what seemed like an imminent appointment to the high court, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., pulled out a familiar tactic from the Clarence Thomas hearings by trotting out the sexual assault accusations of California professor Christine Blasey Ford.
However, despite having had two months to hone their strategy since Ford’s letter was first delivered to Feinstein’s office, the ever-dynamic spin cycle has required that the leftist arm of the DNC shift its core beliefs with the trade winds. This has resulted in awkward situations, such as ignoring direct accusations of partner abuse by one of their own leadership members while elevating the hazy, decades-old recollections of a drunken high school pool party to the very pinnacle of the #MeToo movement alongside alleged serial rapists like Harvey Weinstein.
In a particularly surprising turn in rhetoric, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, pointed the finger at all men on Wednesday, saying it was time for them to just “shut up.”
Another brazen shift in their political positions resulted from the revelation that Ford, contrary to what she had earlier, indicated, said she was unwilling to testify before Congress next week. While such a resolution had been met by rare consensus, with even the Trump White House expressing its support, several Democrats have now reversed themselves, their positions having ‘evolved‘ over the course of three days.
While the Democrats’ party line now is to call upon the FBI to investigate the 36-year-old alleged incident, the embattled intelligence agency previously said it would not do so as the matter lay far outside its jurisdiction.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Judiciary Committee, issued a press release on Thursday highlighting four of the most egregious flip-flops:
- SENATOR DICK DURBIN (D-IL)
THEN: “I think [a public hearing is] the only way to go at this point.” (Katelyn Caralle, “Durbin: Kavanaugh accuser needs a public hearing, not phone calls,” Washington Examiner, 9/17/18)
NOW: “We need to turn the matter over to the FBI… That’s not my job.” (Thomas Geyer, “Durbin takes White House to task over not having FBI investigate allegations against Kavanaugh,” Quad-City Times, 9/18/18)
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SENATOR KRISTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY)
THEN: “I’m hopeful the Senate will at least have some measure of review, maybe a hearing.” (Justin Murphy, “Gillibrand: accusation against Kavanaugh ‘disqualifying.’” USA Today, 9/17/18)
NOW: “Forcing her into a sham hearing is silencing her.” (Tweet, 9/19/18)
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SENATOR CHRIS COONS (D-DE)
THEN: “Dr. Ford has not yet had the opportunity to come forward with additional evidence… I am encouraged that that’s what’s going to happen next Monday.” (Middletown Transcript, “Coons: Senate should treat Ford with respect,” 9/18/18)
NOW: “For this to be a fair, deliberate, and open process, we need to let the FBI do its job.” (Tweet, 9/20/18)
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SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI)
THEN: “I expect to have both witnesses come if they are willing to – and they both have expressed their willingness – and that everyone should be heard.” (Audie Cornish, “Sen. Mazie Hirono Weighs In On Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct Against Brett Kavanaugh,” NPR, 9/17/18)
NOW: “She is under no obligation to participate in the Republican efforts to sweep this whole thing under the rug.” (Eli Rosenberg and Lindsey Bever, “‘Shut up and step up’: Sen. Hirono’s blunt message to men,” Washington Post, 9/19/18)