‘There is zero chance that I would confuse them…’
In the race to destroy Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, members of the Left and the liberal press have moved so far beyond the question of culpability that it is now a foregone conclusion.
Several Democrats in Congress have issued statements saying they believe the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, even though no investigation has been launched and she has hedged on her planned testimony next week before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono went so far on Wednesday as to blame all men, telling them it was time to “just shut up and step up.”
However, not all Kavanaugh supporters are acquiescing to Hirono’s demands.
In a series of somewhat cryptic tweets, Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, suggested on Tuesday that Ford may have made a mistake.
Whelan then made a bold prediction about how the narrative will unfold in the days leading up to Kavanaugh’s presumptive confirmation vote, scheduled for next week:
By one week from today, I expect that Judge Kavanaugh will have been clearly vindicated on this matter. Specifically, I expect that compelling evidence will show his categorical denial to be truthful. There will be no cloud over him.
— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) September 18, 2018
Whelan, a former clerk of Justice Antonin Scalia, used public records available from Zillow to essentially triangulate the possible location of a house near Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, that fit the description based on her account of the alleged sexual assault.
Kavanaugh has unequivocally denied having been at the party in question, details of which remain vague.
Moreover, at least two friends and classmates of Kavanaugh’s who were implicated in Ford’s account as witnesses and corroborators–Mark Judge and Patrick J. Smyth–have also disputed her story.
A horrific incident similar to the one the accuser alleges may well have occurred. But if so, she’s got the wrong guy. Kavanaugh wasn’t present, as this and much more will confirm.https://t.co/7Z4pwr7urR
— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) September 19, 2018
On Thursday, Whelan presented his evidence, that a house in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where the party most likely occurred was that of another classmate at Georgetown Prep, a friend and teammate of Kavanaugh’s who bore a passing resemblance to him.
Whelan named the person and posted side-by-side pictures of Kavanaugh and the doppelganger, implying that it could have been a different person.
Ford responded by telling The Washington Post, “There is zero chance that I would confuse them.”
Perhaps for legal reasons, Whelan later decided to remove the tweet thread and issued an apology for publicly identifying the other student whom he had suggested may have committed the assault.
I made an appalling and inexcusable mistake of judgment in posting the tweet thread in a way that identified Kavanaugh’s Georgetown Prep classmate. I take full responsibility for that mistake, and I deeply apologize for it. I realize that does not undo the mistake.
— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) September 21, 2018
Reactions tended to break down by party lines. Twitchy, which compiled all of the tweets from Whelan, showed some pundits intrigued by the research, which–though it may not be a “smoking gun”–would at least introduce reasonable doubt into the account, barring any “blue dress” level evidence.
Liberal “media” and social-media users, meanwhile, predictably mocked it as conspiratorial.
According to the website Law & Crime, several conservative figures, including National Review editor Rich Lowry and former George W. Bush speechwriter Bill McGurn, have vouched for Whelan’s track record as a meticulous and careful researcher.
First rule of Washington: Never bet against Ed Whelan. https://t.co/WwUszyztve
— Bill McGurn (@wjmcgurn) September 18, 2018
Unfortunately for Kavanaugh, evidence and “reasonable doubt” may, ironically, be moot considerations in the courtroom of public opinion, upon which his confirmation hinges.
A poll promoted by USA Today claimed that the judge, who faced an unprecedented level of Soros-funded political attacks even prior to Ford’s accusations, also currently faces “unprecedented opposition,” with 40 percent opposed to his nomination and 31 percent in favor.
The validity of the poll, given USA Today‘s documented practice of oversampling to favor Democrats, is naturally a question to consider.
But either way, with the Senate deadlocked and no Democrats likely to defect for reasons like voting their conscience, Kavanaugh must maintain good optics–as well as offer truthful and exculpatory testimony–when he takes the stand next week.