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четверг, 27 сентября 2018 г.

«Breaking News» Kavanaugh's D-DAY vote goes ahead: Republicans decide Judiciary Committee WILL vote on Kavanaugh

Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.


While the GOP swiftly decided on a Friday vote to decide if Kavanaugh will be recommended to the Senate, it remains too close to be sure whether the party will be able to get the 50 votes needed to officially confirm him.  


Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the second ranking-Republican, had said Thursday that the GOP conference would meet and 'see where we are.' They later announced that they still intended to vote Friday on Kavanaugh. 


The news comes after a nearly 8-hour day that saw both Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh take the stand in what was an emotional hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.


But despite the hours of grueling testimony, it seems much was left unchanged by the time day turned to night on Thursday. The Democrats remained in Ford's camp, while many GOP celebrated Kavanaugh's tearful plea.    


Key holdouts huddled in the Capitol on Thursday evening, as the main contingents of Republicans and Democrats joined their respective camps.


Republicans can allow just a single defection if they want to confirm the nominee who emphatically denied sexual assault and attempted rape allegations, unless a Democrat crosses the aisle to support Kavanaugh.




Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court 


Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court 



Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court 





The news comes after a nearly 8-hour day that saw both Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh take the stand in what was an emotional hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee 


The news comes after a nearly 8-hour day that saw both Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh take the stand in what was an emotional hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee 



The news comes after a nearly 8-hour day that saw both Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh take the stand in what was an emotional hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee 



Among those being closely watched is Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a retiring Republican lawmaker who has admonished President Trump, but who failed to question Kavanaugh or his accuser at Thursday's Judiciary Committee hearing – instead delivering an equivocating speech.


'I'm sorry for what's happened to you and your family. I'm sorry for what has happened to hers. This is not a good process, but it's all we've got,' Flake said at the blockbuster televised hearing.


On Thursday night, Flake could be seen huddling with Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, as well as conservative Democrat Joe Manchin. All are considered key to determining Kavanaugh's fate.


They talked for around 30 minutes before a GOP conference meeting was held ahead of Friday's scheduled vote to decide whether Kavanaugh would be recommended to the Senate. 


Flake told Fox News that the situation was a 'tough one'. 


'She offered good testimony, and so did he,' he said. 


'If you're making an allegation, you want there to be some corroboration. Where is the burden? It's like impeachment. You don't know.' 


Several Senate Republicans acknowledged Ford's 'credibility'. But that didn't stop GOP leadership from scheduling a Judiciary panel meeting and scheduled vote for Friday swiftly after the end of Kavanaugh's testimony.


Sen John Cornyn of Texas said minutes after the hearing ended on Thursday evening that there would be a 'markup' Friday – meaning a formal vote. 


Kavanaugh is expected to clear the committee to head to the Senate floor for a vote, which would set up a key procedural vote as early as Saturday on the Senate floor.  


If Republicans band together on the procedural vote, the full Senate would consider the Kavanaugh nomination early next week, where a pair of Republicans failing to believe his emphatic denials would doom his fate - unless a Democrat crosses the aisle to back him.




Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, hold hands as they leave a holding room after the hearing on Thursday 


Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, hold hands as they leave a holding room after the hearing on Thursday 



Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, hold hands as they leave a holding room after the hearing on Thursday 





While the GOP swiftly decided on a Friday vote to decide if Kavanaugh will be recommended to the Senate, it remains too close to be sure whether the party will be able to get the 50 votes needed to officially confirm him 


While the GOP swiftly decided on a Friday vote to decide if Kavanaugh will be recommended to the Senate, it remains too close to be sure whether the party will be able to get the 50 votes needed to officially confirm him 



While the GOP swiftly decided on a Friday vote to decide if Kavanaugh will be recommended to the Senate, it remains too close to be sure whether the party will be able to get the 50 votes needed to officially confirm him 





Trump tweeted his support for Kavanaugh just minutes after the 8-hour hearing came to an end on Thursday night


Trump tweeted his support for Kavanaugh just minutes after the 8-hour hearing came to an end on Thursday night



Trump tweeted his support for Kavanaugh just minutes after the 8-hour hearing came to an end on Thursday night



But partisans on both sides were already rallying factions in the brutal fight over replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was the critical 'swing vote' on the high court for years, following a hearing where Kavanaugh tore into Democrats for conspiring to bring him down.


'I will never personally or professionally support any Democrat who votes to confirm Kavanaugh,' tweeted Guy Cecil, head of the liberal superpac Priorities USA.


Kavanaugh himself lit partisan fires during his angry pushback to assault charges. He accused panel Democrats of a 'calculated and orchestrated political hit.'


Judiciary Republicans rallied around Kavanaugh after his emotional appearance, which followed Ford's vivid description of her own suffering during an attack she says happened at a house party decades ago.


Graham tore into Democrats for what he called an 'unethical sham' saying: 'Boy, y'all want power and I hope you don't get it.' 


Panel Democrats blasted the charge, saying they believed Kavanaugh's accuser or at least wanted the FBI to investigate to discern more information and interview witness to the alleged attack Mark Judge. 


'We believe her,' Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted, joining the likes of Judiciary Committee members Kamala Harris and Richard Blumenthal who both told Ford during they hearing that they believed her.  


Several Democrats suggested that Kavanaugh's combative testimony was in itself disqualifying.


'Judge Kavanaugh exhibited temperament Americans do not want in fair judges,' said Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. 


'He was discourteous, lashing out at senators raising legitimate questions, and made unfounded conspiracy allegations about imagined plots by political enemies.'


Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also questioned why Republicans weren't demanding the White House order the FBI to reopend their background investigation if they were 'so certain' of Kavanaugh's story.


'Hold off on a vote for several days so all the facts can come out,' he added.  


But Kavanaugh's angry denials, as well as his tearful account of the threats and harassment against his family, seemed to unite and energize Republicans.


'I don't know how you can listen to him and not realize that he's what he says he is,' Sen Orrin Hatch said, adding that he believes Kavanaugh will be confirmed. 


News of Friday's vote comes after Kavanaugh delivered a fighting end to his Senate testimony Thursday when asked directly if he was innocent of claims he tried to rape Ford or had any doubts about his integrity.


'100 per cent. Not a scintilla. Swear to God,' he said. 





Kavanaugh gave an emotional and furious testimony in defense of his name when he took his place before the Senate on Thursday afternoon


Kavanaugh gave an emotional and furious testimony in defense of his name when he took his place before the Senate on Thursday afternoon






At some points Kavanaugh was visibly in tears as he delivered his 45-minute long opening statement


At some points Kavanaugh was visibly in tears as he delivered his 45-minute long opening statement



Kavanaugh gave an emotional and furious testimony in defense of his name when he took his place before the Senate on Thursday afternoon, at some point visibly in tears





Kavanaugh claimed the entire hearing - spurred by Ford's emotional recollection of a horrific assault - was actually an 'orchestrated political hit' by the Democrats 


Kavanaugh claimed the entire hearing - spurred by Ford's emotional recollection of a horrific assault - was actually an 'orchestrated political hit' by the Democrats 



Kavanaugh claimed the entire hearing - spurred by Ford's emotional recollection of a horrific assault - was actually an 'orchestrated political hit' by the Democrats 



The forceful declaration capped an angry and emotional afternoon in which Kavanaugh fought for the Supreme Court seat - and got immediate approval from the president. 


'Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him,' Donald Trump tweeted just moments after the hearing ended. 


'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!'  


The embattled nominee began with a 45-minute, 5,200-word opening statement, throwing away a far briefer statement he had already submitted as he instead launched into conspiracy theories that the hearing was the Democrats 'revenge for the Clintons'.  


'This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election,' Kavanaugh claimed.


'Fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.'


But that testimony was challenged head-on by Democratic senator Cory Booker, who later asked if Kavanaugh believed Ford was a political operative, and if he wished she had 'never come forward'.


'Are you saying Dr Ford's efforts to come forward to prepare for the difficult testimony she gave today, have all been part of an orchestrated hit? Are you calling her a political operative?' the senator asked.


'All allegations should be taken seriously...I don't know her, but I also said we [my family and I] have no ill will towards her,' Kavanaugh said. 


'Do you think that people who believe Dr Ford are legitimizing despicable things?' Booker continued. 'Do you think we're somehow engaging in something that's despicable?' 


'She is not a political pawn, she is not part of the Clinton's effort to get some kind of revenge,' the senator went on in a rousing defense of Ford. 'She's a woman who came here with corroborating evidence to tell her truth.' 


Kavanaugh later admitted at the end of the hearing that he did not watch Ford's testimony.


The judge choked up and took deep, heaving breaths in his opening statement as he talked about what his youngest daughter told his wife the night before he testified.


'Little Liza said to Ashley, we should pray for the woman. That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old,' he said. 


Kavanaugh was emotional again when talking about his yearbook. 'For one thing, our yearbook was a disaster,' he said, in reference to the reports of what was written inside.


'Some people wanted the yearbook to be a combination of Animal House, Caddyshack, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which were all recent movies at that time,' he noted, adding 'many of us went along with the yearbook to the point of absurdity.'


He added: 'This past week my friends and I have cringed when we talked about it to each other.'


Kavanaugh specifically referenced – without mentioning her name - Renate Schroeder Dolphin, who The New York Times reported on earlier this week, noting a 'Renate' reference appeared 14 times in Kavanaugh's yearbook with Kavanaugh listed as a 'Renate Alumni.'




Many on social media noted Kavanaugh's emotional outbursts, including his frequent interruptions during questioning by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee  


Many on social media noted Kavanaugh's emotional outbursts, including his frequent interruptions during questioning by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee  


Many on social media noted Kavanaugh's emotional outbursts, including his frequent interruptions during questioning by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee  





Meanwhile Ford was praised as she tried to hold back tears and recount the night she said she had never been able to forget


Meanwhile Ford was praised as she tried to hold back tears and recount the night she said she had never been able to forget


Meanwhile Ford was praised as she tried to hold back tears and recount the night she said she had never been able to forget




















'It was not related to sex,' he said bluntly. 'I'm so sorry for her for that yearbook reference,' he added, choking up as he proclaimed: 'She was and is a great person.'


Sen Richard Blumenthal brought up the yearbook statement again later in the hearing, referencing Dolphin's own quote to the Times that the 'Alumni' joke was 'horrible, hurtful, and simply untrue'.


'Renate Alumni clearly implied some boast of sexual conquest,' Blumenthal added.   


Kavanaugh became agitated at the senator's suggestion, instead trying to claim it was Blumenthal who was doing 'great harm' to Dolphin, despite the fact he was referencing her own direct quote regarding the yearkbook.


'You're just dragging her through the mud,' Kavanaugh said. 


What was not addressed during the hearing was the fact that Kavanaugh's lawyer claimed he shared a kiss with Dolphin after an event, to which she specifically told the New York Times never actually happened.


On Thursday Kavanaugh also reiterated a claim he made during his Fox News interview on Monday that he was a virgin in high school and for years afterward.


'This is not a topic I ever imagined would come up in a judicial confirmation hearing,' he said. 'I never had sexual intercourse of anything close to it during high school or for many years after that.'


Kavanaugh also admitted he liked beer, still likes beer but added it doesn't mean he sexually assaulted anyone.


'I liked beer. I still like beer. But I never drank beer to the point of blacking out and I never sexually assaulted someone,' he said.


He then issued a warning attempting to tie his sexual assault allegations to the fate of Americans who enjoy beer.   




Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin exits after meeting privately with Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski following the hearing. The four are considered the key holdouts that could block Kavanaugh's nomination


Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin exits after meeting privately with Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski following the hearing. The four are considered the key holdouts that could block Kavanaugh's nomination



Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin exits after meeting privately with Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski following the hearing. The four are considered the key holdouts that could block Kavanaugh's nomination





Manchin, of West Virginia, is surrounded by reporters after meeting privately with his fellow moderate Senators. He remained silent on his thought process following the emotional day 


Manchin, of West Virginia, is surrounded by reporters after meeting privately with his fellow moderate Senators. He remained silent on his thought process following the emotional day 



Manchin, of West Virginia, is surrounded by reporters after meeting privately with his fellow moderate Senators. He remained silent on his thought process following the emotional day 





Democratic Senators Kamala Harris questioned why Kavanaugh wasn't demanding an FBI investigation, while fellow Democrat Sen Cory Booker asked the judge if he believed Ford was a 'political pawn' in their tough line of questioning 


Democratic Senators Kamala Harris questioned why Kavanaugh wasn't demanding an FBI investigation, while fellow Democrat Sen Cory Booker asked the judge if he believed Ford was a 'political pawn' in their tough line of questioning 



Democratic Senators Kamala Harris questioned why Kavanaugh wasn't demanding an FBI investigation, while fellow Democrat Sen Cory Booker asked the judge if he believed Ford was a 'political pawn' in their tough line of questioning 



'If every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault we are in a new place in this country,' he proclaimed. 


Whether Kavanaugh had ever blacked out from drinking was a frequent topic of discussion during the hearing, as he continued to claim he was far too focused on his football practice to ever do such a thing on weekdays in the summer.


Yet later in the hearing, Kavanaugh had to concede to Booker that on July 1 - a weekday - he had 'brewskis' with his friends after a football practice. The proof was in his calendar. 


'You drank on weekdays, yes or no?' Booker asked. 


'Well, yes...on July 1,' Kavanaugh replied. 


Blumenthal also brought up how Kavanaugh had once described needing to 'piece things back together' after 'falling off the bus on to the front steps of the Law School at 4.45am' while he was a student at Yale. 


Kavanaugh repeatedly interrupted Blumenthal, shouting 'I know what happened!' and then described a night of 'great camaraderie' at Fenway Park for a baseball game. 


Questions about Kavanaugh's alcohol habits became especially contentious when he was asked by Sen Amy Klobuchar if he had ever drank to the point of blacking out after she referenced her own father's struggle with alcoholism.


'I don't know. Have you?' he shot back in an incredible moment that was criticized by many on social media. 


After a brief recess, Kavanaugh apologized to Klobuchar and said: 'I'm sorry I did that. This is a tough process.'  


The Judiciary Committee's leading Democrat Dianne Feinstein focused her efforts on grilling Kavanaugh about the FBI's lack of involvement in investigating Ford's allegation.


'I'll do whatever the committee wants,' Kavanaugh responded. 'I wanted a hearing the day after the allegation came up! Whatever the committee decides, I'm all-in immediately.'  




Much was made of Kavanaugh's high school yearbook (being held by Democratic Sen Patrick Leahy). In his opening statement Kavanaugh said he was 'sorry' for a joke about a friend - Renate Dolphin - that had been interpreted as crude 


Much was made of Kavanaugh's high school yearbook (being held by Democratic Sen Patrick Leahy). In his opening statement Kavanaugh said he was 'sorry' for a joke about a friend - Renate Dolphin - that had been interpreted as crude 



Much was made of Kavanaugh's high school yearbook (being held by Democratic Sen Patrick Leahy). In his opening statement Kavanaugh said he was 'sorry' for a joke about a friend - Renate Dolphin - that had been interpreted as crude 






Kavanaugh's mother Martha was near tears throughout the hearing


Kavanaugh's mother Martha was near tears throughout the hearing






Both Kavanaugh's mother Martha and wife Ashley, looked upset as they listened to his testimony


Both Kavanaugh's mother Martha and wife Ashley, looked upset as they listened to his testimony



Both Kavanaugh's mother Martha, left, and wife Ashley, right, looked visibly upset as they listened to his testimony Thursday





Martha Kavanaugh began crying during the hearing as she sat beside her husband, Kavanaugh's father Edward


Martha Kavanaugh began crying during the hearing as she sat beside her husband, Kavanaugh's father Edward



Martha Kavanaugh began crying during the hearing as she sat beside her husband, Kavanaugh's father Edward




















Democrat Dick Durbin likewise demanded to know why Kavanaugh wasn't asking for an FBI investigation to prove his innocence.


'Turn to Don McGahn and tell him it's time to get this done,' Durbin told him, referring to President Trump's White House counsel in the front row.


He then asked McGahn himself to suspend Kavanaugh's nomination until the FBI could carry out its own probe.


'If there is no truth to her charges,' Durbin said, referring to Ford, 'the FBI investigation will show that. Are you afraid that they won't?'


Chairman Grassley interjected that Durbin didn't need Kavanaugh's permission to spring the FBI into action. 'If you want an FBI report, you can ask for it yourself!' he barked. 


Sen Kamala Harris then directly asked Kavanaugh if he would call on the White House to ask for the FBI to investigate, as his three accusers have.


'All three of the women who have made sworn allegations against you have asked for an independent FBI investigation, you've been asked by four different members at least eight times and on national television whether you would call on the White House to authorize the FBI investigation,' she said. 


'Are you willing to ask the White House to authorize an investigation into the claims that have been made against you?' 


'I will do what the committee wants,' Kavanaugh said. 


'I heard you say that,' Harris continued, not backing down. 'Are you willing to ask the White House to conduct an investigation by the FBI to get whatever you believe is the bottom of the allegations that have been levied against you?' 


When Kavanaugh once again tried to pivot from the question, Harris shot back: 'I don't want to debate with you'. 


'Are you willing to ask the White House to conduct such an investigation?' she repeated.




U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reacts during testimony from Christine Blasey Ford at a Judiciary Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27


U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reacts during testimony from Christine Blasey Ford at a Judiciary Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27



U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reacts during testimony from Christine Blasey Ford at a Judiciary Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27


























When Kavanaugh refused yet again to directly answer the question, Harris replied: 'I'm taking that as a no and we can move on'. 


Kavanaugh was visibly angry when he started talking on Thursday, demanding senators to think about the facts and his willingness to testify in the wake of the allegations against him as they weigh whether or not to confirm him to the Supreme Court.


Practically shouting into the microphone, Kavanaugh blasted the Senate Judiciary Committee for waiting 10 days to let him give his side of the story, noting he denied the allegations as soon as they were made public.


'My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations. The ten-day delay has been harmful to me and my family, to the supreme court and to the country,' he said.


'The day after the allegation appeared, I told this committee that I wanted a hearing as soon as possible to clear my name,' he noted. 'I demanded a hearing for the very next day.'


He slammed the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for failing in their role in the confirmation process.


'This confirmation process has become a national disgrace. The constitution gives the Senate an important role in the confirmation process. But you have replaced advice and consent with search and destroy,' he said.


He also charged Democrats with a political plot to destroy him with the unwitting help of Ford. And, he alleged, it was their way of attacking President Donald Trump and getting revenge for what happened to Bill and Hillary Clinton. 


'This first allegation was held in secret for weeks by a Democratic member of this committee and by staff. It would be needed only if you couldn't take me out on the merits,' he proclaimed. 


'When it was needed, this allegation was unleashed and publicly deployed over Dr Ford's wishes. And then, as no doubt was expected, if not planned came a long series of false last-minute smears designed to scare me and drive me out of the process before any hearing occurred.' 


Feinsteinn directly hit back at Kavanaugh and multiple Republican senators' claims that she had leaked Ford's story or held onto her allegations as long as possible for political gain. 


'Let me be clear, I did not hide Dr Ford's allegations,' the senator said in a fiery defense. 'I did not leak her story. She asked me to hold it confidential and I did as she asked.' 


'She was stalked by the press, she felt she was forced to come forward, and her greatest fear was realized. She's been harassed, she's had death threats, and she's had to flee her home.' 


Feinsteinn also hit back at claims that her office had not been cooperating with the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary committee. 




US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh admitted during testimony he liked beer, still likes beer but added it doesn't mean he sexually assaulted anyone


US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh admitted during testimony he liked beer, still likes beer but added it doesn't mean he sexually assaulted anyone



US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh admitted during testimony he liked beer, still likes beer but added it doesn't mean he sexually assaulted anyone





L-R: Kavanaugh's mother Martha Kavanaugh, family friend Laura Cox Kaplan, and wife Ashley Kavanaugh, listen as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary committee regarding sexual assault allegations


L-R: Kavanaugh's mother Martha Kavanaugh, family friend Laura Cox Kaplan, and wife Ashley Kavanaugh, listen as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary committee regarding sexual assault allegations



L-R: Kavanaugh's mother Martha Kavanaugh, family friend Laura Cox Kaplan, and wife Ashley Kavanaugh, listen as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary committee regarding sexual assault allegations




















'While the majority has reached out to several people, they did not notify me or my staff that we were doing this,' she said. 'To argue that we were not participating, but did not tell us what they were up to is disingenuous.' 


'I was given information by a woman who was very much afraid, who asked it be confidential, and I held it confidential until she decided she would come forward.' 


Feinsteinn also denied that her staff had leaked Ford's letter, even turning around to ask her aides right there in court.


'I'm telling you I did not, I was asked to keep it confidential and I'm criticized for that too,' she added.


Ryan Grim, the bureau chief at The Intercept, later confirmed via tweet that it was not Feinstein's staff who leaked the letter to the publication.   


During the hearing Kavanaugh vowed he would stay in the confirmation process no matter what.


'You may defeat me in the final vote but you'll never get me to quit – not ever,' he bodly proclaimed. 


'I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. You have tried hard. You given it your all. No one can question your effort.'


Kavanaugh, who has been accused by three women of sexual assault, also vehemently denied ever committing sexual assault on anyone.


'I'm here today to tell the truth. I have never sexually assaulted anyone – not ever,' he said. 'Not in high school, not in college, not ever.' 


'I'm not questioning that Dr Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time. But I have never done this to her or to anyone. That's not who I am, it is not who I was. I am innocent of this charge. I intend no ill will to Dr Ford and her family.' 


Kavanaugh also claimed he may have never met Ford during high school.


'It's possible we met at some point at some events, although I do not recall that,' he said. 'To repeat, all of the people identified by Dr Ford as being present at the party have said they do not remember anything such party ever happening.' 


Kavanaugh ended his opening statement with dramatic words: 'I swear today under oath before the Senate and the nation, before my family and god I am innocent of this charge.' 




Donald F. McGahn, White House Council, watches as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies about sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill


Donald F. McGahn, White House Council, watches as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies about sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill



Donald F. McGahn, White House Council, watches as Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies about sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill




















The nominee had arrived for the make-or-break evidence session hand-in-hand with his wife Ashley after hours of testimony from Ford, the woman who says he tried to rape her when she was 15.


Neither smiled as they walked into the Senate committee room for his testimony after Ford was called 'credible' and thanked for her testimony by sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who was brought in to avoid the appearance of a group of older men questioning an alleged sexual assault survivor.


In emotional testimony, Ford, 51, came close to tears as she said repeatedly that she knew Kavanaugh was the man who tried to rape her.


'No and I would like to reiterate again that I was trying to get the information to you while there looked to be a list of other credible qualified candidates,' she told senators when asked to clarify if she came forward for political reasons.


Ford ended almost three hours of testimony with even Republican senators saying her testimony was credible. 


'I found no reason to find her not credible,' GOP Senator John Cornyn said. 


Ford, 51, said earlier in her testimony that she wanted to get information about her allegation to the White House before Trump formally nominated Kavanaugh to the high court - but had been unsure how to proceed.





Ford's yearbook photo


Ford's yearbook photo






Kavanaugh's yearbook photo


Kavanaugh's yearbook photo



Ford (left in her 1984 yearbook photo) claims the assault took place when she was 15 and Kavanaugh (right in his yearbook photo) was 17



She said she contacted her local member of Congress – Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo – and The Washington Post's tip line.


Ford, a research psychologist and professor at Palo Alto University, said Eshoo's office contacted her on the day Trump nominated Kavanaugh, which was July 9th.


Ford, who was questioned personally by the 10 Democratic senators on the panel while all 11 Republican senators deferred their time to Mitchell, addressed questions of her credibility, her belief that it was Kavanaugh who was behind the attack, and her motive in coming forward so many years after the incident in question took place.


Ford said it was 'absolutely not' possible she mistook another teenage attacker for Kavanaugh, saying she was '100 percent' certain he was the man she says sexually assaulted her in 1982 when she was 15.


Dismissing claims of a 'Kavanaugh lookalike,' she told Senators he was certainly her attacker at age 17 - 'very much so.'


And when asked her degree of certainty it was Kavanaugh, Ford leaned down into the microphone and said: '100 percent.' 


Throughout her questioning, Ford revealed how she came to her decision to go public and the how she left her grandmother's funeral to take a polygraph test on the incident. 


'I had left my grandmother's funeral at Fort Lincoln Cemetery that day and was on a tight schedule to get a plane to Manchester, New Hampshire, so [Jeremiah Hanafin, the polygraph administrator] was willing to come to me, which was appreciated,' she said.




Ford looked frustrated and appeared to be struggling to keep her composure as she explained it was 'absolutely not' possible she mistook another teenage attacker for Kavanaugh 


Ford looked frustrated and appeared to be struggling to keep her composure as she explained it was 'absolutely not' possible she mistook another teenage attacker for Kavanaugh 



Ford looked frustrated and appeared to be struggling to keep her composure as she explained it was 'absolutely not' possible she mistook another teenage attacker for Kavanaugh 





Questioning began with sex-crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell (pictured) acknowledging that Ford was 'terrified'


Questioning began with sex-crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell (pictured) acknowledging that Ford was 'terrified'



Questioning began with sex-crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell (pictured) acknowledging that Ford was 'terrified'




















'So he administered a polygraph on the day that you attended your grandmother's funeral?,' Mitchell asked.


'Correct,' Ford replied. 'It might have been the next day. I spent the night in the hotel.'


Ford said her primary memory of taking the test was 'crying a lot.'  


Asked why she took it, Ford said: 'I didn't see any reason not to do it. I found it extremely stressful. Much longer than I anticipated. I told my whole life story, I felt like. I endured it. It was fine.' 


In one of the more emotional moments of the morning, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy asked Ford what stuck out to her in her memory.


'Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter,' Ford said, her voice breaking up. 'The laughter, the upraised laughter between the two and their having fun at my expense.'


'You never forgot that laughter?,' Leahy said as Ford nodded and one of her lawyers patted her back for reassurance.


'I was under one of them while they laughed. Two friends having fun together,' Ford said. 


At several moments throughout her time before the panel of 21 senators, Ford grew emotional, fighting back tears and struggling to keep her composure. 


Ford was almost in tears at another point in the questioning when Blumenthal praised her courage.


Blumenthal quoted from the 2015 book My Story from Sen Graham, who sat a few seats down from him on the judiciary panel, in his praise from Ford.


Blumenthal noted Graham wrote that it takes 'courage from a deep and hidden place for a rape victim or sexually abused child to testify against their assailant' as Ford held back tears.   


Ford's morning began with her own testimony, where, over deep, shaky breathing, she said Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge had been 'extremely inebriated' on the summer 1982 night. 










Ford revealed that she had first mentioned her allegations to her husband during a major renovation of their home in Palo Alto, California (pictured). Ford said that she had wanted two front doors as a result of the anxiety and nervousness she had been left with as a result of the alleged attack. Eventually she told her husband what she says occurred in therapy


Ford revealed that she had first mentioned her allegations to her husband during a major renovation of their home in Palo Alto, California (pictured). Ford said that she had wanted two front doors as a result of the anxiety and nervousness she had been left with as a result of the alleged attack. Eventually she told her husband what she says occurred in therapy



Ford revealed that she had first mentioned her allegations to her husband during a major renovation of their home in Palo Alto, California (pictured). Ford said that she had wanted two front doors as a result of the anxiety and nervousness she had been left with as a result of the alleged attack. Eventually she told her husband what she says occurred in therapy





Rachel Mitchell, a prosecutor from Arizona, gestures to a map as she examines Ford


Rachel Mitchell, a prosecutor from Arizona, gestures to a map as she examines Ford


Rachel Mitchell, a prosecutor from Arizona, gestures to a map as she examines Ford



Her voice quavered as she described her trauma following the house party where she claims Kavanaugh attacked her as Judge watched.


'I don't have all the answers, and I don't remember as much as I would like to,' she said. 'But the details about that night that bring me here today are ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult.' 


'When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room on the first floor of the house. I drank one beer that evening. Brett and Mark were visibly drunk. Early in the evening, I went up a narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the bathroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom. I couldn't see who pushed me.'


'I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming,' she recalled.


'This was what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me.'


She added: 'Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They both seemed to be having a good time.' 


Ford also addressed questions in her opening statement about why she did not report the assault at the time.


'For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone the details. I did not want to tell my parents that I, at age 15, was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys,' she said.


'I tried to convince myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should be able to move on and just pretend that it had never happened.' 




























Since Ford has come forward, both Julie Swetnick (pictured) and Deborah Ramirez have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault


Since Ford has come forward, both Julie Swetnick (pictured) and Deborah Ramirez have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault






Ramirez claims that Kavanaugh placed his penis in front of her and caused her to involuntary touch it during a party at Yale University


Ramirez claims that Kavanaugh placed his penis in front of her and caused her to involuntary touch it during a party at Yale University



Since Ford has come forward, both Julie Swetnick (left) and Deborah Ramirez (right) have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault 









In her testimony, Ford also explained why she came forward when she did, saying she thought it was her duty to offer her knowledge about a nominee to the Supreme Court. 


'I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr Kavanaugh's conduct so that those considering his potential nomination would know about the assault,' she said.


Ford recounted how she wanted to keep her name confidential so she would not have to put her family at risk. 


The professor and her family have since had to leave their home after her name became public and she began receiving death threats.


'My hope was that providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the Senate to consider Mr Kavanaugh's serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family, or anyone's family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy we have faced since my name became public,' she said.


But, Ford said, that changed when reports emerged Sen Dianne Feinstein had a letter about a '#Metoo' situation involving Kavanaugh. 


'Reporters appeared at my home and at my job demanding information about this letter, including in the presence of my graduate students. They called my boss and coworkers and left me many messages, making it clear that my name would inevitably be released to the media,' she said.


'I decided to speak out publicly to a journalist who had responded to the tip I had sent to The Washington Post and who had gained my trust. It was important to me to describe the details of the assault in my own words.'  


Ford also spoke of her fear at being before the panel of 21 senators as she prepared to retell the story of the most traumatic night of her lie.


'I am here today not because I want to be,' she said. 'I am terrified.' 



















Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/28/kavanaughs-d-day-vote-goes-ahead-republicans-decide-judiciary-committee-will-vote-on-kavanaugh/
Main photo article Republican senators say the Judiciary Committee plans to vote Friday morning on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
While the GOP swiftly decided on a Friday vote to decide if Kavanaugh will be recommended to the Senate, it remains too close to be sure whether the party will...


It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca





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