Women Stand By Brett Kavanaugh Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
President Donald Trump nominated Federal Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement back in July. Despite Kavanaugh having a legal reputation as moderate conservative not in favour of overturning the 1973 Abortion decision Roe vs. Wade, it has not stopped Democrats their progressive supporters breaking out into fits of hysteria.
On the first day of his Senate confirmation hearings, a group of 15 women stood outside the hearing room dressed as handmaids from the television series the Handmaid’s where in the dystopian United States women do not have basic human rights. Democrat Senators claimed that Trump was appointing him due to his animus against women and minorities and to clear himself of the threat of indictment.
But the claim against Kavanaugh that has risen to be the most prominent was revealed by Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford when he was 17 years old and still in High School back in 1982. Ford who was 15 at the time told The Washington Post that at a party with another boy watching, Kavanaugh who was intoxicated, held her down on a bed, grinding against and groping her, covered her mouth when she tried to scream and attempted to pull her clothes off.
Kavanaugh has said this alleged sexual assault did not occur “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time”. What casts down on Ford’s claim is that she only remembered it in a therapy session in 2012 for which the therapist’s notes state she was assaulted by students “from an elitist boys’ school”, who eventually became “highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington”.
Ford is a Professor at the Social Work Department at California State University – Fullerton and has a 2.3 out of 5 rating on RateMyProfessors.com with student reviews from the period 2010-14 stating “Christine ford is the worst educator I have ever experienced” and an A+ student alleging “She’s made comments both in class and in e-mails, if you cross her, you will be on her bad side. I fear to think of the poor clients that had to deal with her while she got her MSW and her LCSW. Absolutely the worst teacher I ever had.”
In response to these allegations 65 women who have known Kavanaugh throughout his life have signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend his reputation which states “Through the more than 35 years we have known him, Brett has stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity’ and ‘In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day’.
The response by those opposed to Kavanaugh’s nomination was that the publication of this letter one day after the allegation became public was suspicious. This view is summed up by Actress Debra Messing who tweeted ‘It’s almost as though you KNEW about this accusation of sexual assault and tried to hide it. But got prepared with names JUST IN CASE.’
Two of the 65 women who signed the letter and who dated Brett Kavanaugh when he was young appeared on Fox News Monday night with Martha MacCallum to share their experiences with him and expressed their shock at the sexual assault allegation levied against him and it did not fit his character. They also both have no knowledge of the party where the alleged assault took place.
Maura Fitzgerald who dated him in high school said “I was absolutely shocked,” and that “I just couldn’t believe it. It’s just so polar opposite of the Brett Kavanaugh that I have known for over 35 years”. She also said he did not have a reputation for being intoxicated as alleged “he was actually one of the guys that if we were at a social gathering, he’d be the guy to look out for other people. He was always in control.”
Maura Kane who had known Kavanaugh since high school and dated him in college expressed a similar reaction to the allegations “I couldn’t believe that these allegations had come out when I had been at the hearing for a couple of days and we just watched woman after woman come forward praising Brett and his respect for women and his professionalism and his kindness towards them and then this at the last minute came out”.
Sexual assault allegations against conservative men when they are on the cusp of obtaining a position of authority are all too common. During his Senate confirmation hearing in 1991 Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was accused of sexually harassing attorney Anita Hill. During the 2016 Presidential election, Donald Trump was accused by 19 women of sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, sexual assault allegations against progressive male public figures are ignored in the case of Bill Clinton or covered up for years in the case of Havey Weinstein.
Given that the allegation against Kavanaugh is from 36 years ago which the alleged victim only remembered in 2012 with the party where it was alleged to take place not being located it is unlikely that it will shift any final votes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Democrats will still oppose him because he is Trump’s nomination and Republicans are likely to fall into line with their President’s choice. The hearings continue.