And after the 45-minute recess, we are back. Dr. Ford can go home after an eventful morning/early afternoon hearing, and now it’s the Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Slightly after 3 p.m., Judge Kavanaugh gives his opening statement, and he wasn’t pulling any punches.
He’s angry. Defiant, even.
“This confirmation process has become a national disgrace…’advise and consent’ has become ‘search and destroy,'” he says.
Kavanaugh then attacks “the left,” including Democratic members on the Committee (though not by name).
TV newsers of course took notice:
Kavanaugh seems furious. Says his family and his name “have been totally and permanently destroyed.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 27, 2018
Judge Kavanaugh is angry and adamant at today’s hearing: “My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations.”
— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) September 27, 2018
MORE: In strong language and deliver, Kavanaugh declares “this nomination process has become a total joke.”
— BILL HEMMER (@BillHemmer) September 27, 2018
Brett Kavanaugh is enraged in his opening statement & making clear this has been a personal Hell
“My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations”— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) September 27, 2018
At least one conservative host likes it:
This is a fantastic open. Kavanaugh is fighting like we need all conservatives fighting against this poisoned process.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) September 27, 2018
Former Obama administration official and CNN host David Axelrod:
You can now see the purpose of Mitchell’s final round of questions of Ford, laying he groundwork for Kavanaugh to claim that he is the victim of “grotesque and coordinated character assassination.”
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) September 27, 2018
Kavanaugh calls out the Democratic senator who referred to him as “evil,” though not by name (Sen. Cory Booker), and later says, “I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process…You may defeat me in the final vote, but you’ll never get me to quit.”
Then Kavanaugh begins to get emotional in a different way, when speaking about his 10-year-old daughter, who he said wanted to say a prayer for Dr. Ford.
“I intend no ill will to Dr. Ford and her family. The other night Ashley and my daughter Liza said their prayers and little Liza, all of 10-years-old, said to Ashley we should pray for the woman. That’s a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old.” — Kavanaugh #KavanaughHearings pic.twitter.com/ZR8XwGdWMb
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 27, 2018
After 45 minute opening statement, prosecutor Rachel Mitchell returned to ask questions, before giving way to Senator Feinstein:
Sen. Feinstein: it’s my understanding that you have denied the allegations by Dr. Ford, Mrs. Ramirez and Mrs. Swetnick is that correct?
Kavanaugh: Yes
Feinstein: All three of these women have asked the fbi to investigate their claims. i listened carefully to what you said. your concern is evident and clear. if you’re very confident of your position and you appear to be, why aren’t you also asking the FBI to investigate these claims?
Kavanaugh: Senator, I’ll do whatever the committee wants. I wanted a hearing the day after the allegation came up. I wanted to be here that day.
Then, Kavanaugh takes a shot at cable news.
Instead, ten days passed where all of this nonsense is coming out, you know, that I’m in gangs, I’m on boats in Rhode Island. I‘m in Colorado. I‘m cited all over the place. These things and printed and run by cable news breathlessly. I wanted a hearing the next day. My family has been destroyed by this, senator. Destroyed.
Then the 15-minute break, when TV news reaction rolled in:
“He’s making a political case to save his nomination, and it could work to get the votes he needs,” said NBC’s Chuck Todd. “But how it plays in the rest of America…I don’t know.”
The Fox Newsers who previously thought the Republicans were in trouble after Dr. Ford’s opening statement, seem mostly to be in agreement that Kavanaugh has done well so far.
“When I interviewed him it it felt like there was a cork. Now it felt like the cork has been let out,” said Fox News’ Martha MacCallum.
@BrettKavanaugh has knocked it out of the park, but the whole thing is embarrassing for the country- no winners @foxandfriends
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) September 27, 2018
Fellow Fox Newser Brit Hume seems to think Kavanaugh’s approach is working well:
Kavanaugh performance raises interesting question about how a nominee should handle adversarial confirmations/investigations. Traditional approach is deference even in the face of hostile onslaught. Today suggests aggressive approach sometimes works better.
— Brit Hume (@brithume) September 27, 2018
At around 4:45 p.m. ET, the hearing took a sharp turn, and became the Sen. Lindsey Graham show. The South Carolina senator was simmering in the hallway between hearings, and it erupted after Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin finished his questioning. “What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open, and hope you win in 2020!” Adding “This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”
Graham is the first Republican senator to question Kavanaugh:
Graham: “Are you a gang rapist?”
Kavanaugh: “No.”
Graham: “Would you say you’ve been through hell?”
Kavanaugh: “I’ve been through hell and then some.”
Graham: “This is not a job interview. This is hell.”
“This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics,” a heated Sen. Lindsey Graham says. https://t.co/GGrl0K12EF #KavanaughHearings pic.twitter.com/svJXrGcaPS
— ABC News (@ABC) September 27, 2018
The White House liked Graham’s remarks and passion:
.@LindseyGrahamSC has more decency and courage than every Democrat member of the committee combined. God bless him.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 27, 2018
Keep following along…one more post, at least for today!